Green Eyes
by tinyhuman02
Summary: AU: Single father Jackson Avery hasn't been successful in the dating scene, but a trip to the ER with his son may change his luck. Japril & other character appearances.
1. Field Trip to the ER

**Hey, folks! Here's another AU story for you :) I decided it would be neat to incorporate Jesse's teaching background into Jackson's character in this one. Named this after the Coldplay song. Have a listen if you haven't yet. It's a wonderful song!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Grey's or its character. That's all Shonda Rhimes.**

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><p>"Slavery in America began when the first African slaves were brought to the North American colony of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619…" Jackson Avery briefly glanced over his shoulder after writing some historical facts on the whiteboard, checking to make sure his students were taking notes. As the AP U.S. History teacher at Pacific West Academy, he stressed the importance of remembering significant events from decades and centuries ago. He was a history teacher after all, but being an African American man, the topic of slavery was a subject he always spent extra time on. "…to aid in the production of crops such as tobacco and-"<p>

He paused again when he noticed that only about sixty percent of his students were writing diligently in their notebooks or binders. The other forty percent were female students who simply stared at him in awe, which wasn't a surprise to him in the five years he had been teaching at the private high school. Different students, yet they gave him the same reaction every year after stepping a foot into his classroom.

Mr. Avery, as most of the students called him, or Coach Avery if they were members of his varsity basketball team during the winter season, but his unofficial name from the female population at PWA was Mr. Green Eyes. His eyes were green with a hint of blue and they stood out like a sore thumb. They were the first thing people noticed and the female students were infatuated with him. Jackson also had a handsome face, a pretty boy type of appearance, but the eyes always drew them in.

A Boston native, the 32-year old had been uncomfortable with the stares initially. How were his students supposed to take him seriously when half of them were drooling all over their desks? He grew used to it, though, and the only way to wake them up from their fantasies was to randomly hand them pop quizzes. It was only then did they actually feel motivated to study. At least his students respected him. He was a hardass, but a kind one. Jackson took pride in helping them succeed in academics. That was why he loved being a teacher.

It was only the second week of the school year. He needed a month or two before his entire class would fully pay attention to his lectures. Nothing new there, though.

Clearing his throat, Jackson faced the whiteboard to jot down more notes for his students. "Back in the early 17th century, European settlers in North America turned to African slaves as a cheaper source of labor-" He paused once again when there was a knock on the door.

The principal, Miranda Bailey, opened the door and gestured towards Jackson to meet her in the hallway. He excused himself before stepping out of his classroom and closing the door behind him. "Your son's school called the main office. Apparently, he had an accident during recess. Fell off the jungle gym and it's possible he broke his arm," she informed him. "You have to pick him up and take him to the hospital."

"Oh, crap," he muttered, rubbing the back of his shaved head worriedly. "Okay, umm… I need somebody to take over for the rest of my classes."

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Avery. I'll cover your class and I'll find you some substitutes for the others. Take care of your little boy."

Jackson returned to his classroom to gather his belongings. He told his class that he was needed for a family emergency, which drew some disappointed sighs from the young ladies. After leaving the academy, he drove fifteen minutes through downtown Seattle to his son's school. From the moment he walked into the hallway, a familiar cry echoed from the nurse's office.

Upon entering the room, he spotted his 5-year old son, Dylan, sitting on a chair as the school nurse attempted to console him. The little boy had a splint holding his left arm in place and his face was drenched with tears. The pained expression on the nurse's face hinted that he had been crying since falling off of the jungle gym.

"Hey, Dylan. I'm here now," Jackson softly greeted him and knelt down in front of the Kindergartener. He pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket and dried his face. "You alright, buddy?"

"There's significant swelling in his forearm. We iced it already, but you should definitely take him to the ER," she explained, gently rubbing Dylan's back.

"Daddy, it hurts!" Dylan wailed, more tears streaming down his face. "I wanna go home!"

"We will go home, but first, we're going to take a field trip to the ER. You like field trips," Jackson insisted. He carefully picked up Dylan with one arm and made sure not to touch his injured arm, then used his other hand to get his backpack. His son buried his face against his shoulder on their way out of the school. He knew Dylan was a bit on the adventurous side, though he was afraid to ask just how he fell off of the jungle gym. It easily could have been accident – his son _was_ a little accident prone.

It took him longer to buckle Dylan into his booster seat, trying to maneuver the seat belt without running into his left arm. On their way to the hospital, Jackson occasionally checked on him through the rearview mirror. His son continued to cry his eyes out. It was obvious he was in a tremendous amount of pain, which made him frown.

"We're almost there, Dylan. Just hang on for a few more minutes."

Seattle Grace Hospital's waiting room was slightly full, but Dylan's loud cries earned them some sympathy from the front desk and they were sent to the pit where they were given an empty bed. While they waited for a doctor to arrive, Jackson dried his face once more. His eyes were red and puffy and he sported a pout on his face as he continued to sniffle.

"So, what were you trying to do during recess?" Jackson curiously asked, lightly patting his leg.

"Climb to da top," he mumbled. "And I fell."

"I hope you know this means no more peewee football for the rest of the season," the older Avery noted. "You can't play football with a broken arm."

"Oh nooooo!" Dylan whined loudly, dropping his head as he cried even harder.

Jackson grimaced and instantly felt guilty. He thought maybe he should have waited a little longer before dropping that bomb on him. "Don't worry, buddy. There's always next year," he promised, wiping away his tears once more.

A redheaded doctor in navy blue scrubs and a white lab coat approached them with a bright smile on her face and a ponytail that happily swayed back and forth while she walked. She appeared fairly young, around Jackson's age. "Hi, I'm Dr. April Kepner," she introduced herself, shaking the teacher's hand before taking a seat on a stool beside the bed. Her cheerful demeanor seemed to help Dylan relax as the tears finally stopped. "And you must be Dylan Avery. Heard you had an accident. Is it okay if I take a look at your arm?"

At first, he was reluctant before slowly nodding his head. "Careful, though. It hurts."

April softly laughed, partly due to her patient's inability to pronounce his R's. "I'll be extra careful, okay?" She tried her best to distract him from the pain by asking him simple questions. "How old are you, Dylan?"

"Five," the 5-year old answered, holding up five fingers with his right hand. "How old are you?"

Jackson forced himself to laugh and sheepishly grinned at April. "Ah, that's- you don't have to answer that question, Dr. Kepner."

"It's alright," she chuckled. "How old do you think I am?"

"Umm…" Dylan's eyes shot up towards the ceiling as he tapped his chin with his index finger. "Twenty two."

April smirked while she examined Dylan's left arm. "Close, but you're ten years off," she politely corrected him. She noticed a smile forming on his face, then she looked up at Jackson. His son was like a miniature version of him. They both had matching greenish blue eyes, a feature she didn't see often. "This is going to sound random, but you and your son have beautiful eyes."

"I'll thank my Swedish father for that," Jackson playfully replied. He immediately noticed the dimple on her face whenever she smiled. "You're a pediatrician?"

"Oh, no. I'm actually a trauma surgeon, but I run the ER sometimes and I have free hands at the moment, so I was able to come over and help you out. I do have experience working with children, if that's what you're worried about."

He waved his hand and smiled. "I'm not worried. You seem really good with children. I'm sure you're a good mother too."

"I'm actually not a mother – or married for that matter," April admitted, shyly biting her bottom lip. "Just a lot of nephews and nieces."

"My daddy's not married either!" Dylan chimed in.

Jackson cleared his throat, loosening his blue necktie. "Well, what he means by that…" He pursed his lips, while April awkwardly stared back at him. "Divorced."

She nodded, her eyes refocusing on Dylan's injured arm. "It's none of my business. What _is_ my business, though, is your son's arm. I'm going to take him upstairs for x-rays because I suspect there's a fracture in his forearm. You're free to come up with us and you can fill in some paperwork in the meantime while you wait."

"Do you think he'd need surgery?"

"I won't know for sure until I see the x-rays, but there aren't any major deformities in his arm, so there's a good chance it'll heal on its own," April answered before smiling back at Dylan. "Hey, do you want to take a quick tour of the hospital? We have some really cool machines that I think you'll find interesting. Your daddy can come too."

Dylan looked at Jackson eagerly. "Can we, Daddy?"

"I don't see why not," the older Avery replied, playing along with April's game. If it meant his kid was no longer crying his lungs out, then he was all for it. Dylan hadn't shed another tear since the redhead's arrival.

After a trip to Radiology where Dylan was instantly fascinated by the x-ray machine, April met with the Averys in another examination room. She placed the x-ray pictures on a screen to show Jackson where the fracture is. "He has a clean break in the ulna, which should heal in four to six weeks. He'll be in a cast for at least four of those weeks."

"And no surgery?"

"Definitely no surgery," she assured him. April sat down beside Dylan's chair and smiled. "Hey, Dylan. I'm going to wrap your arm in a cast, so your broken bone will heal over time. You know what the best part of this is? You get to pick a color, so what color would you like for your cast?"

"Poh-ple!" the little boy squeaked.

She pulled out a red lollipop from her lab coat pocket and handed it to Dylan. "And while I work on your cast, you can eat this for being a brave boy." The trauma surgeon turned to face Jackson and whispered, "It's sugar free."

Jackson nodded in approval and let April work on his son. He admired how the two of them easily got along. Dylan continuously babbled about his favorite toys and barely flinched as she casted his left arm. It was refreshing to watch him interacting with an adult of the opposite sex. His ex-wife resided in Portland after they divorced three years ago. They agreed on joint custody of their two children, but they only saw their mother every other weekend and on some holidays. She had chosen her occupation over family, leaving him a single father to an 8-year old daughter and a 5-year old son.

Something about April made him comfortable. She seemed warmhearted and thoughtful from the second she arrived in the ER. And Dylan enjoyed talking to her as if he had completely forgotten that he had a broken arm. She was also gorgeous in his mind.

He quietly scolded himself because he didn't know anything about her. It had been four months since he last went out on a date with a woman. Being a single father of two young children made his dating pool smaller. Sure, women laid eyes on him immediately, but as soon as they learned that he was a single father, they lost interest. He came with baggage – adorable baggage – however, not everybody wanted to date a man with kids no matter how attractive he was. And he wanted somebody who also accepted his children.

When April finished Dylan's cast they rode the elevator back down to the pit. She gave Jackson directions on how to take care of his cast at home. "If he's experiencing pain in his arm, just give him a small dose of children's ibuprofen," she advised. "And if you have any questions, feel free to call us. I'll see you two again in ten days for a follow-up appointment."

Jackson carried Dylan in one arm and smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Kepner. What do you say to her, buddy?"

"Thank you for da lollipop and da cast, Dr. April," he enthusiastically said in his high-pitched voice. "You're pwetty."

April softly chuckled, tucking strands of her auburn hair behind her ear. "Well, that's a very nice thing to say. Thank you. I hope the rest of your day goes well."

Jackson kissed the top of his son's head. "C'mon, let's go get some late lunch, then we'll pick up your sister from school." He looked back at April as he turned around. "Thanks again. You were great with him."

Dylan waved over Jackson's shoulder as they headed towards the exit. "Bye, Dr. April!"

"Take care, you two," she called out to them, waving back at her patient. April received a nudge from behind and found her friend and colleague, Lexie Grey, standing beside her. "Hey, what are you doing down here?"

"I was paged for a neuro consult, but before I get to that, _who_ was that man you were waving to?" the brunette inquired.

"What? Oh, I was waving to his son. Dylan was my patient. He's just the father." April adjusted her ponytail and dismissively waved her hand. "Broken arm, but he was a trooper about it."

Lexie smirked at her friend. "Is he single?"

"He's only five," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Don't play stupid with me, April. You know I'm talking about his insanely attractive father."

The redhead folded her arms in protest. "It doesn't matter. You already set me up for a blind date tonight, remember? How about I get that date out of the way before you start trying to find another man for me to waste my time on?"

"Waste your time on? I'm trying to find you a soulmate. You don't plan on staying single forever, do you?" Lexie chided. She gently squeezed April's shoulder and sighed. "Besides, I want to double date with you, but Mark and I can't exactly do that if you don't have somebody to make us a foursome."

"I'm sorry. Traumas keep me busy, you know? It's hard to find a respectable guy to date when most of the ones I encounter are bleeding out in my trauma room," April dejectedly replied, slumping her shoulders. "Being married to surgery isn't the worst thing in the world."

"If you say so," the neurosurgery fellow murmured. "You still haven't answered my question, by the way. Is that man single?"

April gestured towards the hospital beds occupied with patients. "Go take care of your consult, Lex," she nonchalantly stated. "I'll call you later tonight to let you know how my blind date went, alright?"

"Fine, fine. I'm going."

The trauma surgeon let out a sigh of relief after Lexie left her alone. While she enjoyed having conversations about various topics, her dating life wasn't one of them. Living the single life stopped bothering her when she became a surgeon. Her job prevented her from worrying about being the sad, single woman who would grow old alone. She would love to be married with children one day, but her focus was on the medicine.

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><p>Tucking his son into bed, Jackson piled a couple of pillows underneath Dylan's left arm to try to make him as comfortable as possible. Helping him shower after dinner had been a daunting task. His son had grown into his "big boy" mentality and he wanted to bathe himself, which wasn't an option. They were both stubborn, but the father eventually won out in the end.<p>

"How is that? Is your arm feeling good?" Jackson asked, setting a stuffed tiger beside Dylan. His son nodded his head. "Remember not to sleep on your left side, alright? Your arm won't heal if you're sleeping on it."

"Daddy, when are we gonna see Dr. April again?"

"In ten days. Why?"

Dylan shyly grinned at his father. "She's cute! I like her. Can we bring her flowers?"

Jackson ran his hand along his shaved head and laughed. "You got a crush on her now? I thought you had a crush on that girl in your class. What was her name again? Carly?"

"Yeah, but Dr. April is so pwetty. Don't you think she is?" he curiously asked.

"Uhh, sure. She's a nice looking woman," Jackson timidly answered. There were other words he wanted to use to describe April, but he quickly reminded himself that he was talking to a 5-year old boy. He smiled to himself as he recalled her dimpled smile in his head. "And she's very sweet."

Dylan pointed at him. "Daddy, you like her!" he excitedly said.

He smirked, shaking his head. "All I said was that she's sweet."

"But she's not married and you're not married. What are you waiting for? Put a ring on it, Daddy!" the younger Avery demanded, throwing his right arm up in frustration.

Jackson slightly furrowed his brow. "Have you been listening to Beyoncé again?" he amusingly replied. Instead of allowing his son to continue his speculations, he leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "It's time to go to sleep, Dylan. Goodnight, buddy."

"G'night, Daddy."

After turning on the nightlight, Jackson switched off the lamp and walked out of Dylan's bedroom. He briefly checked on his daughter, Charlotte, who was already asleep in her own bedroom. While the day was over for his children, he still felt wide awake enough to head to his office and organize lesson plans for the following day. This was his daily routine. It left little room for dating, but his children always came first. Teaching came next and then everything else.

Sometimes the single life wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

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><p>"Ever climb down a 40-foot ladder with two kids on your shoulders, while flames are burning down the building? Because let me tell you, the rush you feel when your life is on the line – it's better than sex," Charles Percy enthusiastically bragged to April, who was seated across from him at a restaurant in downtown Seattle. He was a firefighter who Lexie had set up her friend with for the blind date. "Ever slide down a fire pole?"<p>

April dabbed her mouth with a napkin, then she cleared her throat. "No. I can't say I have," she answered, forcing a smile. They had been sitting in the restaurant for at least a half an hour, but she only managed to talk about herself for five minutes. Her date was a nonstop chatterbox who barely let her get a word out. Everything was about his job and how exciting it was, yet she found herself completely uninterested.

If she was really desperate, she would have taken her fork and stabbed Charles in the eye – or stabbed herself with it. This wasn't her first miserable date, but it had been a while since she wanted to grab her purse and run out. He seemed like a decent guy until he opened his mouth.

He was in the middle of sharing another so-called heroic story when she decided she had had enough. "Umm, I think my pager is buzzing in my purse," the redhead interrupted. She opened her purse and picked up her pager. "Oh, it's the hospital. I should definitely call in to see what they want. Excuse me."

She nearly sprinted out of the dining area and towards the women's restroom. The trauma surgeon dialed Lexie's number and waited for an answer. "Hey, Lexie," she greeted her best friend. "I'm going to kill you tomorrow."

_"__Is your date that awful?"_

"Yes! Charles won't stop talking about himself. He doesn't even have the courtesy to ask me anything about myself," April complained. She took a quick peek at her table and her mouth dropped open when she caught her date stealing food from her plate. "And now he's eating my dinner! Where did you find this guy?"

_"__He was one of Mark's patients. Charles got a nasty burn saving an old lady and I thought maybe he'd be perfect for you," Lexie explained and sighed. "Fine, I'll take responsibility for this one, but maybe this means you can give that other guy a shot. You know, the nurse I set you up with from Peds. Umm, Stewart?"_

"No, no. That won't be necessary. I think I need a break from these blind dates."

_"__To be fair, Stewart isn't a blind date since you've already been on a date with him."_

April softly groaned. "Don't be a smart ass, Lex. I just… I'll see you in the morning." She hung up on her coworker and contemplated fleeing from the restaurant, but there were two problems – her purse was sitting on her chair _and_ the exit required walking through the dining area again. The trauma surgeon scolded herself for not planning a better escape route. She took one deep breath before she whispered to herself, "Suck it up and tell him you have to go to work."

Casually reentering the dining area, April stood beside the table with a saddened expression on her face. "I'm so sorry, but the hospital needs me. We're gonna have to cut this date short," she explained in her fakest disappointed voice. She grabbed her purse and held out her hand. "Thank you for dinner, Charles. It was a pleasure to meet you."

The burly man slightly furrowed his brow, then he shook her hand. "Likewise," he responded, suddenly flashing a grin at her. "If you ever want to meet up again-"

"Oh! Pager's buzzing again. I really have to go," April hurriedly stated before walking away as quickly as possible. From the moment she stepped outside, it felt like somebody finally removed handcuffs from her wrists. She felt inclined to do a victory dance, but she opted to find her car, so she could go home sooner.

After driving herself home, she walked into her apartment dejectedly. It was a single bedroom apartment located directly across from Seattle Grace Hospital. Living a hundred feet away from her job made it easier for her to report to work regardless if she was on-call or not. A part of her wanted to change out of her floral dress and see if the ER needed extra hands. It seemed more fun than being on a dreadful bind date.

Rather than change into her pajamas, April decided to heat up a bag of popcorn and watch a movie – alone. It wasn't the first time she had a date with herself. Many of her failed blind dates ended this way. Escaping into the fictional world of rom-coms helped her temporarily forget that she was single and lonely. Her last boyfriend was kind and treated her well. He worked in Dermatology at the hospital, but even working in the same building didn't prevent them from having problems. Her dedication to trauma surgery resulted in less time to be with her ex-boyfriend.

And her experience in relationships was lacking. She only had two long term relationships since high school – neither of them actually occurring during her teenage years. Her lack of experience made for awkward interactions with the opposite sex. She was more comfortable putting her hands inside of an open body cavity than conversing with men.

Work was always there for her, but she hoped to settle down with a husband one day. It would help if she met someone she clicked with, though. So far, that man hadn't arrived yet.

For now, it was just going to be her and _Pretty Woman_ for the rest of the night.

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><p>The weekend arrived and that left Jackson alone with peace and quiet. It was the children's weekend with their mother in Portland, giving the history teacher plenty of room to relax for a couple of days. Before his relaxation time could happen, though, he needed to grade the tests he gave out to two of his classes first. Instead of grading at home, he went to the nearest Starbucks to pass the time. Staying at home meant he would likely distract himself by turning on the TV to find the best college football game to watch, but he wanted to get his grading out of the way.<p>

Plus, grading at Starbucks had its perks – people watching, iced caffè mocha and a spinach and feta breakfast wrap. Jackson sat at a table in the corner, a red pen in one hand and his breakfast wrap in the other. Occasionally, he shook his head at some of his students' answers. Nixon was _not_ around during the slavery era. If good etiquette hadn't been required in his teaching protocol, he would have written 'idiot' on more than a few tests.

The coffee shop wasn't very crowded, which was a relief. Less distractions to worry about. Jackson set his red pen down to take a sip from his iced caffè mocha and noticed a familiar face walk inside. April removed her earbuds as she approached the cashier. She wore running attire and her hair was fixed in a ponytail. He couldn't help but stare at her. It was those damn tight-fitting spandex pants she wore that outlined her backside. She had unzipped her jacket to fan herself after finishing her run around the city.

Jackson stuffed his mouth with his breakfast wrap, his eyes shooting down at the test in front of him. That was his son's doctor. He was _not_ gonna go there.

But he couldn't help it. He glanced back up at the redhead. Maybe a quick hello wouldn't hurt, he thought. And neither of them were at work, so it wouldn't be unprofessional. He had little time to decide after she received her strawberry smoothie at the pick-up counter.

She was on her way out until he blurted, "Dr. April! I mean, Dr. Kepner!" Jackson wanted to punch himself in the face because he had grown used to listening to Dylan call her Dr. April. He quickly waved at her when she spotted him.

April walked towards Jackson and smiled. "Hi, Mr. Avery. You look very different from the last time I saw you."

The history teacher wore a University of Washington hoodie and old, faded blue jeans with a pair of Nike's. "Oh, it's my free weekend. The kids are with their mother, so I'm just grading tests to pass the time."

"You're a teacher?" she asked curiously. Truthfully, that was one of the last ideas she had in mind when she first saw him dressed in a nice shirt and tie.

"Yes. I teach most of the history classes at the Pacific West Academy."

"I see. That's a really good school from what I've heard." April pointed at the pile of ungraded tests on the table. "Anyway, I should let you get back to that."

Jackson gestured towards the empty seat across from him. "Actually, I could use a break. Why don't you have a seat?" he offered eagerly. "I have uhh, questions about Dylan's arm."

"Oh, gosh. How rude of me. I completely forgot to ask you about how he's doing," she sheepishly replied, sitting down on the chair. "Is he feeling any discomfort? Any problems with the cast?"

"Sometimes he complains about being sore, but I've given him the ibuprofen like you said. He tries to convince me he can shower by himself, but I know he won't be able to avoid getting that cast wet," he answered with a chuckle. Jackson immediately noticed the tank top underneath April's jacket. Her cleavage was an even bigger distraction and he tried his hardest to keep his eyes focused on her face. "Uhh, will… will he need any rehab afterwards? I- I know he's only five and his bones are still bursting- growing, but I figured it'll be stiff- umm, sore when the cast is off."

April quietly slurped her smoothie and wondered why Jackson was stuttering. There was something on her face, she thought. A bug ran into her and died during her run. He was probably too embarrassed to tell her. "There will definitely be some stiffness, but some simple exercises will help ease that away," she explained.

"Okay, cool." There was an awkward silence between them. Jackson casually smiled, while the trauma surgeon shyly drank her smoothie again. "So, how long have you been working at Seattle Grace?"

"Two years. I'm originally from Ohio. I completed my residency in Cleveland before I moved out here. How long have you been teaching?"

"Five years at the academy, but I've been teaching since grad school, so about ten years now," he answered, then he pointed at himself. "I'm not originally from here either. I was raised in Boston. My mother's actually a doctor too. Runs her own practice over there. Urologist. What made you decide to become a trauma surgeon?"

"I like the idea of being the first hands on deck when a trauma comes rushing in through those ER doors," April responded and shrugged. "And something different always shows up. It's like a new experience every day. And Seattle Grace is a teaching hospital, so I know a thing or two about teaching the interns and residents. I love it."

Someone who enjoyed teaching? Jackson grew infatuated instantly. "You know, I go by the saying, 'The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is-"

"Is the power of teaching," April finished and softly chuckled. "Sorry, I used to quote Aristotle in my philosophy class all the time. But I believe in that too."

The woman was driving him crazy! Perhaps his friends would tease him for being so turned on by a woman who was passionate about teaching, but he found that incredibly sexy. His inner nerd was slowly beginning to reveal himself. "So, you're not working today?" he inquisitively asked.

She shook her head. "Nope, but I have a bunch of errands to run, so it's not exactly a day off either."

"Oh, okay. Well, I don't want to hold you back," he insisted. "I guess Dylan and I will see you in a few days for his follow up."

"Yes, definitely." April stood up from her seat and smiled. "It was nice talking to you, Mr. Avery."

"Jackson," he politely corrected her. "You can call me Jackson. My students are the ones who call me Mr. Avery. Well, them and annoying telemarketers."

The redhead giggled and nodded. "Alright, noted. I'm April."

"Yeah, I know- I mean, you said your first name when you introduced yourself and Dylan goes around calling you Dr. April all the time," Jackson added, forcing himself to laugh. "Anyway, see ya, _April_."

"Bye, _Jackson_," she playfully said before leaving Starbucks.

Watching her pass by the window, Jackson smiled to himself as he returned to grading his tests. What started as a boring morning turned into a satisfying day and it wasn't even lunchtime yet. After his short conversation with April, he was looking forward to Dylan's follow up appointment even more now.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review and let me know what you think :)<strong>


	2. Treehouse Jumper

**Hey, folks! Thank you for the reviews! The response to this story made me really happy :) More character details will pop up as the story progresses, so you'll need to be patient ;)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Sitting on the couch at home while watching the University of Washington duke it out with UCLA in college football, Jackson was suddenly interrupted by his 8-year old daughter, Charlotte, who appeared frantic and worried upon running into the living room. "Daddy! Dylan's about to do something really bad!" she exclaimed.<p>

"How bad?" Jackson turned around on the couch where Dylan was supposed to be drawing at the dining table. He jumped up onto his feet and looked back at his daughter. "Where's your brother?"

Charlotte pointed towards the window. "Backyard. He said he's gonna jump out of his treehouse, so he can break his other arm and visit the doctor."

At first, he was skeptical until he looked outside and spotted his 5-year old reaching the top of his treehouse in the backyard. "Oh, Jesus no!" Jackson sprinted out of the house just as Dylan was prepared to launch himself from the opening of his treehouse. His little arms were spread out like he was ready to fly away. "Dylan, don't you do it!"

But he was half a second late and Dylan jumped off of the edge. Fortunately, Jackson made it in time to catch him before he could land on the ground. His tiny body still managed to knock the wind out of the older Avery, who fell onto his back after catching his son.

Jackson slowly sat up, holding Dylan against his lap. "Dylan, don't you ever attempt something like that again!" he scolded his son breathlessly. He shook his head disappointedly. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack and possibly an early death? What were you thinking?"

"I want to see Dr. April," he murmured with a frown on his face. "She didn't look at my arm last time."

When the two of them returned to Seattle Grace for Dylan's follow-up appointment a few days ago, the trauma surgeon had been pulled into an emergency surgery and couldn't make it downstairs to the pit in time. She had assigned a resident to help them, to both Averys' dismay. Jackson didn't let it be known, but he was just as bummed as his son that they got another doctor instead of April. Their meeting at Starbucks gave him high expectations and seeing a guy named Dr. Brown ruined his mojo.

"We didn't see Dr. April because she was busy fixing someone who had a bigger ouchie. We'll see her again at your next appointment," Jackson assured him. "And breaking your other arm won't help you. Also, your mother would've killed me if you were successful. No more jumping out of your treehouse, okay? And you're also not supposed to go outside without telling me."

"Sorry, Daddy," Dylan replied, his eyes glossy and wide. "Can we visit Dr. April today?"

The history teacher slightly grimaced. "Umm… I'm not sure if she's working today and even if she is, she could be really busy…" He watched his son's face change into a glaring pout – furrowed brow and protruding bottom lip. Although he never admitted it, it was the death stare that occasionally intimidated him. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Another time, okay?"

The younger Avery pointed at his cast. "My arm hurts, Daddy," he whined. "Dr. April has to look at it _now_."

Jackson bit down on his bottom lip. He certainly wasn't a pushover parent, but on the other hand, a part of him wanted to see April too. "Okay, fine. We'll go see her today."

"Yay! I'll get my jacket!" Dylan excitedly said, climbing off of Jackson's lap and running back towards the house.

"Well, at least I know he's not injured," he muttered to himself. After returning to the house, Jackson waved over Charlotte. "We're taking a quick trip to the hospital, so get your shoes and put them on."

"Why? Dylan didn't die," Charlotte sneered.

He pursed his lips and pointed towards the garage. "Not funny. Shoes. Now."

Once he gathered both children into his car, Jackson drove to Seattle Grace. He struggled to find an excuse to tell April that didn't make his little boy seem crazy. No way did he want a psych consult ordered for Dylan just because he jumped out of his treehouse. It wasn't suicide, more like an act of love – if that made sense. Hopefully, she would find humor in his son's crush on her.

When they arrived Jackson entered the ER carrying Dylan against his shoulder, while Charlotte trailed behind with her eyes focused on the iPad in her hands. He asked one of the nurses where April was and he was directed towards one of the beds where the redhead was treating a patient. Now, he felt even more nervous approaching her because she was with a patient who truly needed help and he was there to make his son happy.

Slowly walking towards April, Jackson hoped they could stand aside and wait for her to finish, but Dylan had other plans. "Hi, Dr. April!" he squeaked, causing his father to grimace.

April turned and appeared surprised to see them in the ER. "Hey, Dylan. Wh-what are you doing here? Everything okay?"

"You know, we'll wait until you're finished with your patient. It's nothing major, I promise," Jackson sheepishly insisted. He ushered Charlotte towards a wall where it wasn't busy. "We'll be right here."

She smirked before turning her attention back to her patient. Five minutes later, the trauma surgeon approached them and smiled. "So, what can I do for ya?"

Jackson placed his hand on top of Charlotte's shoulder. "This is my daughter, Charlotte," he introduced her. His daughter never bothered to glance up from the game she was playing on the iPad. "She's a bit occupied right now, but umm, Dylan here was bummed he didn't see you on Wednesday so… well, it's a funny story. I think you'll find this funny."

"Will I?" she questioned curiously. He leaned forward and whispered the incident into her ear. She raised both eyebrows, then she forced herself to laugh. "Oh. Okay, well, he doesn't appear to be hurt by the jump. I'll check his vitals just in case. How about we go into this empty trauma room behind you?"

Following April into the trauma room, Jackson sat Dylan on the examination table. "I hope you aren't jumping to conclusions about my parenting skills because I would _never_ let something like this happen."

"Don't worry. I'm not," she softly replied as she used a small flashlight to check Dylan's pupils. "His pupils are equal and reactive to light. It doesn't look like he has a concussion. How's his arm? Did he land on it?"

"I don't think so. When I caught him he practically landed on top of me so I got the brutal end of it," he answered with a chuckle.

"Well, it's a good thing you caught him because it would've been much worse if you weren't there in time."

"I'm sorry for taking time away from your patients who really need the help," Jackson awkwardly said, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just little boys and crushes…"

April laughed and looked back at him. "I understand. And don't be sorry. I'm sure some part of you would feel better if a doctor checked him out even if he doesn't have any serious injuries." She finished examining Dylan and smiled at the Kindergartener. "Alright, sweetie. You're good to go."

Dylan suddenly slapped his forehead. "Daddy, we forgot to buy flowers!"

"It's fine, really," she amusingly responded.

Jackson clapped his hands together and half-smiled. "Okay, then… thank you, Dr. Kepner. Maybe by chance we'll run into each other at Starbucks again," he suggested. "Or umm, it doesn't have to be by chance. We could meet up for a cup of coffee."

April was taken aback by what sounded like a date. Was Jackson asking her out on a date? She wasn't sure how to respond because he acted timid and almost embarrassed about it.

"Daddy, I'm hungry. Can we get some lunch?" Charlotte interrupted. She glanced back and forth between Jackson and April. "We're done, right?"

"Uhh, yes. We're leaving now," Jackson politely answered. He picked up Dylan from the examination table, then he smiled at the redhead. "See you in a couple of weeks for his next appointment?"

"Mmhmm," April replied with a nod. She waved at Dylan as the family walked out of the trauma room. "Don't jump out of any more treehouses, young man."

His father looked back at her and smirked. "That offer for coffee still stands, by the way. Take some time to think about it."

She nervously laughed before letting out a sigh of relief when the Averys were finally gone. Jackson was an attractive man. There was no doubt about that, but she never expected him to ask her out. And a single father of two? When did he find the time to date?

But coffee suddenly sounded nicer than it actually did. She was definitely considering taking him up on that offer.

* * *

><p>April carried her lunch tray towards her friends' table. Lexie and her fiancé, Mark Sloan, waved her over to their table after she bought her food. Setting her tray on the table, she took a seat beside the brunette woman. "You'll never guess who showed up in the ER an hour ago," she greeted them, poking her salad with her fork.<p>

"The DILF?" the plastic surgeon nonchalantly answered before biting into an apple. He laughed at her puzzled expression. "You know, the guy with the eyes? Kid broke his arm?"

"Lexie, you told him?" the redhead retorted, shooting a glare at her friend.

"Relax, Kepner. From what I've heard about this one, he could finally be that guy who gets multiple dates with you," Mark insisted. "Single father laying his eyes on you is a big deal. He's probably a picky person like you are."

Her mouth slightly dropped open. "I am not picky."

Lexie shook her head in disagreement. "You haven't had a second date with anybody since you became single. Also, your last relationship ended eight months ago." She quickly shrugged, glancing down at her lunch. "Maybe you should've accepted Topher's proposal. He was basically perfect for you."

April bit the inside of her lip after hearing her ex-boyfriend's name. It had been a while since she thought about Topher Cole. They met after she started working at Seattle Grace. He worked in the Dermatology department. If she hadn't gotten that nasty rash that she refused to admit where it was located, they never would have met. Their relationship had lasted for a year, but it came to a halt when he surprised her with a wedding proposal on their anniversary. She simply wasn't ready to settle down and wanted to focus on her surgical career, crushing his heart in the process. Despite agreeing to remain friends, their occasional interactions always ended awkwardly.

Sometimes she played the "What if?" game in her head. Would she be happier or miserable? She'll never know now, at least with Topher.

"He had smooth hands," Mark recalled, drawing a chuckle from Lexie. "What he did? And I no longer get free moisturizer from him because Kepner dumped him. Can you get back together with him? I miss the free stuff."

"No!" the trauma surgeon sternly replied, blowing strands of her hair that covered her eye. "Besides, weren't you just hoping I'd go out with Jacks- Mr. Avery?"

Lexie smirked. "Mr. Avery? We already know his name is Jackson after you told me about your run-in with him at Starbucks last weekend, which I relayed to Mark. And he's not even here, so there's no need to stay professional right now."

"Okay, whatever," she answered, rolling her eyes. "He showed up in the ER because his son jumped out of his treehouse, so he could break his other arm and see me again. He's got a little crush on me."

"That's adorable," the neurosurgeon chuckled.

"What he did was insane! He's lucky Jackson caught him because child services would've been all over his ass if Dylan succeeded. I mean, he's a cute little boy, but he really could've seriously injured himself more."

"Oh, c'mon, April. From the sounds of it, he was fine. And don't act like you weren't happy to see Jackson again," Lexie teasingly replied.

April stuffed her mouth with salad before she muttered, "He did ask me out for coffee before he left."

"And?" Both Mark and Lexie questioned at the same time.

"I didn't say yes, but I didn't say no either. He told me to take some time to think about it," she sheepishly stated. "I want to, okay? I'll admit that. I'm just not sure if it's the best timing. I mean, he has two young children and-"

Lexie pointed her finger at April. "There you go again. You're doing that thing where you make up excuses to get yourself out of dating someone whether it's work or his ears are too big," she accusingly said. "Jackson seems genuinely interested in you. For once, it's not somebody we set you up with. You need to take a chance on this guy. Right, Mark?"

Mark nodded, biting his apple again. "You need to get laid, Kepner," he suggested with a mouthful of food. "You'll be less uptight."

"I'm _not_ uptight," April defensively replied. Her coworkers stared back at her unconvincingly, then she groaned. "I'm only uptight because you two constantly push me to go out with these men who I have nothing in common with. I want somebody who understands that I work a busy schedule. Of course, most of the men here are either taken or gay."

"You can always go into cougar mode and chase after one of the interns if things don't work out with this Jackson stud," Mark playfully suggested. She furrowed her brow at him and he mischievously grinned in response. "You have to take a picture of this guy. I want to see how _pretty_ he actually is. Lexie claims his eyes sparkle."

"I'm telling you, you have to see them to believe it," Lexie insisted. "Don't waste this opportunity, April. A guy like Jackson may never come into your life again."

April quietly nodded while she continued to eat her lunch. As shallow as it sounded in her head, she was certainly drawn to his appearance. She had never met anybody who looked like Jackson before, but she needed to find out if his personality was just as attractive. Sometimes the mind was more beautiful than what a person displayed on the outside. She was extremely curious about his background. Oh, how much she wanted to meet up with him for coffee now.

* * *

><p>No answer yet. The week was halfway finished and Jackson still hadn't received a call or a text message from April regarding their possible coffee date. It was beginning to make him impatient. How hard was it to send him a simple yes or no?<p>

He walked into the teachers' lounge for lunch carrying two burritos and a plate of chili cheese fries from the cafeteria. Waiting inside for him at the dining table was his colleague and friend, Izzie Stevens. Like Jackson, she was a teacher at the Pacific West Academy, teaching Earth Science and Chemistry. She watched in amusement as the history teacher set his food on the table before opening the refrigerator and grabbing a large jar of pickles and a bottle of Gatorade.

"Someone has an appetite today," the blonde woman noted. Her coworker quietly ripped the foil off of half of his burrito and took a large bite. "What are you stress eating about this time?"

"I'm not," he mumbled, stuffing his mouth with chili cheese fries. "What makes you think I am?"

Izzie stared at him unimpressed. "You bought _two_ burritos from the cafeteria. You don't even like the burritos from the cafeteria. And the pickles? That doesn't go with your lunch at all," she pointed out. "What is it? The ex-wife demanding she gets the kids for Thanksgiving again?"

Jackson shook his head. "No, she hasn't even brought that up yet, thank God. By the way, I refuse to let her have them two years in a row. It's my year. She gets them for Christmas," he explained. "It's nothing big, really. I just still haven't gotten any confirmation for coffee that's all."

"From the doctor? You're stress eating because a woman hasn't accepted a date with you? That's a first," she answered with a laugh. "She's probably really busy being a hot shot surgeon. Don't give up yet."

"I'm not ready to give up. I'm just… impatient. April's a doctor. She has to give me an answer," he confidently replied. Jackson checked his cell phone for new messages, but found nothing. He took another large bite from his burrito to help him relax. "Any minute now."

It was the first time in a long time that Izzie could see how smitten Jackson was over a woman he barely knew. The only other woman to cause him to stress eat was his ex-wife. She didn't know all of the details, but talking about her seemed to raise his blood pressure frequently.

She grimaced as he finished his first burrito in less than five minutes, pushing aside her own lunch. "Slow down. You have 25 more minutes to eat. You're making me lose my appetite."

"Actually, I have to print out exams for my next class, so I have to rush- ah, damn!" Jackson cursed to himself after chili landed on his pastel blue shirt. He grabbed a napkin and began furiously wiping the stain. "I just bought this too."

Izzie opened her purse and rolled a Tide stain remover pen towards him. "Use this instead. Okay, so April is a trauma surgeon, which is pretty badass. No kids and she's never been married. But she likes kids, right?"

"She was really great with Dylan. He never cried again and he wasn't scared of the x-ray machine. Plus, I believe she mentioned having a lot of nieces and nephews, so she has some experience with kids," he recalled, smiling when the stain on his shirt disappeared. "I hope she doesn't assume I'm using Dylan as an excuse to see her. He crushed on her first."

"I'm fairly sure she doesn't think that at all if the attraction is mutual. So when are you asking her out on an official date?"

"Well, it would help if she accepted my offer for coffee first," he dejectedly replied, unwrapping his second burrito. "I never actually gave her my number either. Maybe that's why she hasn't contacted me."

"Your number is in the records. I'm sure she's smart enough to find it," Izzie assured her coworker.

Jackson dropped his burrito when his cell phone notified him of a new text message. It was April causing him to smile instantly. "It's her," he gleefully announced before reading her short but very encouraging text.

_Coffee this Saturday? :)_

He immediately answered her and set his cell phone on the table. "Coffee is a go."

"Wonderful." Izzie noticed the disgusted expression on Jackson's face. "You're regretting that burrito now, huh?"

"In about an hour, I will," Jackson regretfully said, placing his hand on his stomach. His impending trip to the men's restroom couldn't dampen his excitement about meeting with April again, though.

* * *

><p>The coffee date didn't happen exactly according to plan. Rather than meeting up at Starbucks, Jackson received a text message from April prior to leaving the house telling him that she was called in to help out in the ER at the last minute. He didn't mind, though. Instead, he offered to bring Starbucks to her, taking her order and bringing her coffee to the hospital. She found time in her schedule to sneak out and meet him outside.<p>

They were seated on a bench in front of the main entrance. April sipped her coffee and sheepishly smiled down at her lap. "I know this isn't what you had in mind for coffee, but thank you for being so understanding," she acknowledged, tapping her finger against the lid. She felt somewhat embarrassed that they had to meet up this way. Her scrubs reeked of trauma after working on a gunshot wound victim earlier and her hair was in a messy bun. Plus, the drops of blood on her shoes made her feel less flattering. "And I look terrible."

"You look fine. Honestly, you look amazing," Jackson complimented. And he wasn't lying. He thought the navy blue scrubs helped her auburn hair pop. "I mean, compared to myself. I don't normally let my facial hair grow this much. I reserve the beard action for the winter."

April giggled as he stroked the scruff on his face. She had never seen him clean shaven, but she admired the scruffy appearance. "I like it. It's nice on you," she admitted. "So, what made you decide to move from Boston to Seattle?"

"Football scholarship. I was a starting wide receiver for Washington until I blew out my knee my junior year. Messed up cartilage as well, so I had microfracture surgery, which basically ended my football career," Jackson explained, then he sighed. "But I suppose it was a blessing in disguise. I'm doing what I love now and I don't have arthritis in my knee."

"Did you ever consider moving back to Boston?"

"I've thought about it, but I don't want to move the kids too far away from their mother. Besides, my own mother is quite the meddler and really overbearing. When my ex-wife and I divorced she was calling me nonstop about it. She claimed she warned me countless times that it wouldn't work out…" He paused and nervously laughed. "You shouldn't have to hear about any of this. I doubt this is the type of conversation you were expecting for a first date."

April raised her eyebrow curiously. "This is a date?"

Jackson hesitated to answer, then he softly chuckled. "Did I say date? It- it could be a date… if you want it to be…" He was prepared to pop open the lid of his coffee and pour it all over his head. "Sorry. I'm probably making you uncomfortable now."

"No, no. It's okay. I guess meeting up for coffee and getting to know each other qualifies as a date," she suggested, gently biting on her bottom lip. "I just wish I was made up better. I'm drinking coffee with you and there's blood on my shoes."

"I didn't even notice," he admitted, sipping his coffee. Truthfully, he hadn't as he was too busy staring at April's face. "Anyway, I don't want to accidentally ramble too much about myself, so it's your turn. What's your family like?"

"Well, I'm the second daughter out of four and I grew up on a farm," the redhead started, glancing back at Jackson. "Even though I was raised in a house full of women, my father managed to turn my sisters and I into football fans. I'm not the most athletic person, but I do enjoy football because of him."

_Could she be any sexier?_ Jackson smiled brightly back at her. "Maybe we could go to a UW game together one weekend or a Seahawks game?"

"No to the Seahawks. It's all about the Bengals," April playfully gloated.

"The Bengals? Please, they won't make it to a Super Bowl. C'mon, the Seahawks are the defending champs. Of course, the Patriots will likely make a good run this year-"

She waved her hand and laughed. "Don't even get me started on New England. Let's change the subject before this conversation turns sour. I can be fiercely competitive."

"Alright, what do you want to talk about then?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Umm, how about Dylan? What's he like when he isn't trying to woo me over?"

"He's a bright kid. Loves to draw and surprisingly likes math. I never did," Jackson explained, then he let out a laugh. "And he typically has a new crush on someone every month, so don't be offended if he moves on to someone else by the time you see him again for his next appointment."

April nodded and smiled, showing off the lone dimple on her face. "Thanks for the heads up. How about your daughter?"

"Charlotte marches to the beat of her own drum. She's smart, observant of her surroundings. Kind of can have an attitude with me. That's a trait she got from her mother. Umm, she's heading towards the preteen stage, so that could be why too. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes she's difficult to deal with. I never grew up with sisters – or brothers for that matter."

"If you ever want some tips, I don't mind sharing them with you," she offered. "I helped my mother a lot with my two younger sisters. And I probably know every little girl issue there is."

"I'd like that." April's pager went off and Jackson slightly frowned. He knew their coffee date was most likely over, but it was better than no date at all. "Time to go?"

She sighed as she clipped her pager to the waistband of her scrub pants. "Unfortunately, yes. Thank you for the coffee, though. I really needed this."

He watched her stand up, then he cleared his throat. "One more thing before you go," the history teacher called out causing her to turn around. "Would you like to have dinner with me sometime? Whenever you're free?"

April shyly grinned. She thought their coffee meeting was going to end without him asking her out. "Is Thursday night okay?"

"Yes. Yes, that's perfect. I'll… I'll call you, so we can finalize the details," Jackson eagerly answered, fighting off the urge to grin like a giddy child who received the ultimate birthday present. He raised his coffee cup and smiled. "Nice seeing you again, April."

"It's Dr. Kepner at work, _Jackson_," the redhead teasingly reminded him and smirked.

"Right," he chuckled.

Jackson remained seated on the bench after April disappeared into the hospital. He finished drinking his coffee before tossing his cup into the trash can and walking to his car. If he had a dancing bone in his body, he would be prancing around like Gene Kelly in _Singin' in the Rain_ – but he couldn't dance to save a soul and it wasn't raining for a change.

Instead, he grinned like an idiot. A very happy idiot.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think please :)<strong>


	3. Back in the Game

**Thank you for the reviews! :) I really appreciate it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Standing in front of the mirror hanging inside of her closet, April held two dresses in front of her, switching them back and forth only to grow even more indecisive. She had several other dresses laid out on her bed except for the small space where Lexie lay sprawled out with her legs hanging over the edge. The redhead had called her for advice on what to wear on her date with Jackson. It had been a while since she stressed over her attire. Jackson wasn't a first date she dreaded but rather a date she was really excited about. She wanted to look her best for him.<p>

"I don't know which one's better!" April exclaimed in frustration, turning around to face her coworker. She raised the two different colored dresses. "Strapless black or this spaghetti strapped green dress? What do you think?"

"Well, what do you feel more comfortable wearing?" Lexie inquired.

She sighed disappointedly. "That's why I asked you to come over, Lex. I need an opinion besides my own and I'm about to go insane trying to figure out what to wear for this date. I don't want to come off looking too eager for something to happen after dinner – and for the record, I am _not_ hoping for sex. But I also don't want to look like I totally just got off of work and didn't have time to get ready. Neither of these scream lazy, right?"

"Isn't the black dress you're holding the same dress you wore on your 1-year anniversary with Topher?" Lexie pointed out and chuckled. "Do you really want to wear the outfit you dumped your ex-boyfriend in on your first date with Jackson?"

April stared at the black, strapless dress in horror before throwing it over her shoulder. Thanks to her best friend, she remembered why she hadn't worn it in months. "Good point. I suppose the green one is okay," she suggested, walking towards her bed and picking up another dress with her free hand. "Or how about this royal blue dress? Oh my gosh! Why is this so difficult? At this rate, I'll never find something to wear!"

"You do realize it's only Wednesday night, yeah? Your date's tomorrow night." The brunette woman smiled to herself while she twisted her engagement ring back and forth on her left ring finger. She was enjoying how frazzled her friend was over a first date. After all of the first dates she had been unenthusiastic about, it was a relief to see her in panic mode. "You have plenty of time to decide on a dress."

"I know, but I still have to decide how to style my hair. It's going to be a mess by the time I'm off work. And makeup? I suddenly feel like I'm going to overdo it and end up looking like a cheap whore-"

"April!" Lexie interrupted, sitting up on the bed. "You're overthinking this. Stop, take a deep breath and pick a dress. Then we'll move on from there."

April did as she was told, taking a deep breath before glancing down at her emerald green dress. "This will do. I'm positive this dress doesn't have a significant connection to Topher." She set it aside, then she started hanging the other dresses back in her closet. After she finished returning them to their places, she sat down next to Lexie on the bed. "I'm really nervous. I've never dated a guy with kids before."

"You'll be fine. It's _him_ who should be nervous," she insisted. "He's the one with baggage. He'll likely be trying twice as hard to impress you without saying the wrong things. I bet he hasn't been on a date in ages, despite how attractive he is."

"I just hope this goes past a first date. I like him a lot." The trauma surgeon suddenly scrunched her nose. "It's not unprofessional to be dating my patient's father, right? After a few more weeks, Dylan won't even be my patient anymore."

"Don't worry about it. You're not the first doctor to fall for a patient's relative or the patient himself, though the latter might be a little unprofessional, but that's not the case here," Lexie assured her. "And bonus points for already meeting his kids. At least you got that part out of the way. You're not entirely a stranger to them anymore."

* * *

><p>Seated at one end of the dining table with his children sitting across from each other on the sides, Jackson waited until both of them were finished eating their spaghetti before deciding to talk to them about his date with April. While he had been on previous dates with other women, he hadn't officially admitted to his children that they were dates. Instead, he called them "meetings". He didn't think they were quite ready to hear that their father was seeing other women. He mostly worried about Charlotte's reaction because she grew quite defensive over him dating. She somewhat understood what it meant, that she could potentially have a stepmother someday, which she wasn't thrilled about.<p>

After Dylan slurped his last noodle, Jackson cleared his throat and smiled. "Alright. Before you go upstairs to shower and get ready for bed, I want to talk to you both about something really important," he announced. Both of his kids were fully attentive and staring back at him. "Tomorrow night, I am going on a date. You know what a date is, right?"

"It's when you bring flowers to a girl and then you buy her dinner, and then you kiss her when it's over," Dylan proudly explained with a grin on his face. "Are you going on a date with Dr. April?"

"Her name is Dr. _Kepner_," Charlotte sternly corrected her younger brother, scowling back at him.

"Nuh uh! Her first name is April, so she's Dr. April!" he retorted and returned the scowl.

Jackson waved his arms before the argument could escalate into a shouting match. "Kids, settle down. She can be Dr. April and Dr. Kepner, okay? And to answer your question, yes. I'm going out to dinner with her."

"Why?" Charlotte muttered, her eyes darting down at her empty plate.

"Because… I want to thank her for taking care of Dylan's arm. Also, we've sort of become friends and I'd like to continue being friends with her. You know how you like hanging out with your friends from school? Well, that's how I feel about Dr. Kepner," he explained, though he felt unsure about his reasons. The topic of dating was a harder discussion than he originally thought. "Do you understand, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, but I don't like it."

"And why don't you?"

Charlotte remained silent, folding her arms as she refused to make eye contact with Jackson. He knew what she was thinking without having to ask her again. His daughter had formed a bond with his ex-wife long enough before the divorce. Even though she only saw her mother every other weekend, their relationship remained close because she called to say goodnight to the kids every night. Dylan, on the other hand, barely had any fond memories of her since his parents divorced when he was two years old. He had a relationship with his mother, yet their closeness wasn't where it could be.

"Daddy, can I go on the date too?" the 5-year old questioned excitedly.

Jackson softly laughed. "Sorry, buddy. This is a big people's date, but Jo will be here to babysit you and your sister tomorrow night. You love hanging out with Jo. I also gave her permission to give you ice cream after dinner." He let out a sigh of relief when Dylan cheered. His youngest child was so easy to please. Charlotte was another story. "Okay, bath time. Charlotte you go first. I'll come upstairs to tuck you in after you brush your teeth."

Charlotte stood up, furrowing her brow at him. "I can tuck myself in."

"Watch your tone," he scolded her as she left the dining room. Jackson stacked their dirty dishes and carried them into the kitchen. He rolled up his sleeves after placing the dishes into the sink. Dylan set a stepping stool beside him and joined him at the sink. "Gonna help me with the dishes, buddy?"

"No. I just have questions," Dylan innocently answered, drawing a laugh from the older Avery. "How come Charlotte doesn't want you going on a date with Dr. April?"

Jackson half-smiled at his son before turning on the faucet. "Your sister just doesn't know her as well as we do, that's all. Once they get to know each other better, I think she'll be fine with it," he replied casually.

"Are you buying flowers this time? She's not gonna be happy if you forget da flowers again, Daddy," Dylan insisted, wagging his finger at him. "You have to buy flowers, so she can smell something nice. Your cologne is stinky."

"Aww, c'mon. It's not that bad," he responded, pausing for a moment to sniff the inside of his shirt. Now, he doubted the scent he wore every day. Maybe he had worn it so much that it became a part of him and everyone thought it was his body odor except for him.

"Flowers, Daddy," the 5-year old reminded him again.

Jackson nodded. "Alright. What kind of flowers should I get for her?"

Dylan tapped his little fingers against the counter, then he grinned up at his father. "Daisies! Roses are for old people."

Jackson snickered. "Well, it's good to know you don't think I'm old. Daises it is. Anything else you want me to do?"

"Kiss her, Daddy!" he cheerfully replied.

The older Avery found himself slightly blushing. Of course he wanted to kiss April tomorrow night. He had been thinking about it since their encounter at Starbucks. Talking about kissing her with his son was awkward, though. "How do you know so much about dating?" he playfully questioned. "You're not even old enough to be thinking about it."

"Grandma Catherine said I'm gonna get a lot of girlfriends 'cause I already look like a ladies' man," Dylan answered, then he scrunched his nose. "What's a ladies' man?"

Jackson slightly furrowed his brow. "Something that your grandma's not supposed to be talking to you about," he murmured, shaking his head. His mother lacked a filter and occasionally talked about inappropriate things in front of his children. It was a good thing she only visited Seattle about five times a year. Then again, there wasn't a day that passed when Dylan didn't have a crush on someone. He was definitely a miniature version of himself, which worried him a bit. "Anyway, how about you go upstairs and wait for me? I'll check and make sure you finished your homework before you take a shower."

Dylan hugged his father before hopping off of the stool. "You're welcome!"

"Thanks for the dating advice, buddy," he chuckled.

Sometimes the best advice came from the people who had no idea they were giving good advice in the first place.

* * *

><p>Jackson wanted to be on schedule for his date with April. He had picked the children up from school, prepared dinner for the babysitter to throw into the oven for later, helped Dylan take a shower and made sure both kids started their homework. A quick shower felt necessary to wash off the cologne he typically wore every day. He bought a different brand of cologne during his lunch break specifically for this date. After changing into clean clothes – a white dress shirt, black pants and a matching colored jacket – he sprayed on some new cologne and trotted down the stairs.<p>

The kids were working on their homework at the dining table. Both of them glanced up at their father when he appeared. "Daddy, you look spiffy," Dylan chirped. "That means you look nice, right?"

"Pretty much and thank you," he happily replied, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "How about you, Charlotte? What do you think?"

His 8-year old daughter pursed her lips before she answered, "You look handsome." Her tone sounded glum, but he would take any positive answer from her regardless of how unenthusiastic she said it.

The doorbell rang and Jackson approached the front door to open it. Standing outside with a backpack hanging over one shoulder was the babysitter, Jo Wilson. A senior at the Pacific West Academy, she had taken his AP U.S. History course when she was a junior. She was one of a few girls in his class who hadn't drooled over him. He found her trustworthy enough to watch his children without her rummaging through his drawer and stealing his underwear as a keepsake.

"Hey, Coach A. The woman you're taking out tonight must really be a bombshell," Jo teased as she entered the house. She sniffed loudly and scrunched her nose. "Trying a little too hard. How much of that stuff did you put on?"

"Not that much," Jackson insisted, turning away to smell the inside of his shirt. He shrugged and faced forward. "Anyway, there's lasagna on the counter. Just slip it into the oven in about five minutes. Dylan already showered, so you only need to remind Charlotte to after dinner. Umm… make sure they've finished their homework and are in bed by nine. I'll be home before ten."

Jo set her backpack on the couch and smiled at the history teacher. "I've been babysitting for you since January, so I know the drill. Enjoy your date. You deserve a night of relaxation."

"Thank you again." Jackson returned to the dining area with Jo and kissed the top of his children's heads. "Alright. By the time I come home, you two should be asleep in your beds. Listen to Jo and don't give her a hard time. Dylan, don't go anywhere near your treehouse."

"I have no idea what that means, but I'll keep a close eye on him," the high school student assured him.

Jackson left the house, making a detour to the closest flower shop. He bought a bouquet of daises before driving to April's apartment. Carrying the bouquet in one hand, the pretty boy used his other hand to smooth out his jacket. He knocked on the door and held the daises in front of his chest with a smile on his face.

Inside of the apartment, April scrambled to put on her strappy heels as she rushed towards the door. She had finished her shift a little later than she had hoped and practically ran across the street from Seattle Grace to her apartment. With only about twenty minutes to change and get ready for her date, the redhead's stomach was in knots when she heard Jackson knocking.

She opened the door wearing only one heel and held up her finger as she sheepishly grinned at him. "Just give me one more minute, please." The trauma surgeon closed the door before Jackson could respond. She finally wore her other shoe, then she ran into her bedroom to check her outfit in her mirror. April covered her shoulders with a black sweater and grabbed her purse from her bed. She returned to the front door, calmly opening it again. "Sorry about that."

"It's no problem at all." Jackson's eyes scanned April's outfit. It was the first time seeing her dressed up and he was even more infatuated with her. She hadn't overdone her makeup and her auburn hair flowed down past her shoulders. And he thought she looked amazing in green. "You look really beautiful."

"Thank you," she shyly answered, biting down on her bottom lip.

He quickly remembered the daises in his hand and extended them out to her. "And these are for you. Dylan suggested them because I didn't bring you flowers when I last brought him to the hospital."

April laughed as she took the flowers from him. "Your son really knows how to treat a woman. I'll just put these in a vase and then we can leave."

While his date disappeared into her small kitchen, Jackson used the time to look around her apartment from the doorway. It appeared tidy and cozy, the type of home for somebody who was single – and lonely. "You have a nice place. It's just you living here?"

"Yes. It's so close to work that it doesn't bother me, to be honest," she replied from the kitchen. After finding a place to set her vase, April joined Jackson at the front door and stepped out of her apartment. They walked to his black Acura RDX where he opened the door for her. "Such a gentleman you are."

Jackson couldn't help but smile to himself as he walked around his car to the driver's seat. They clicked so easily and he loved how comfortable she felt around him. He had made reservations at the SkyCity restaurant located at the top of the Space Needle. She admitted to never having eaten there since moving to Seattle, so he decided it was the perfect place for their first date.

They were seated by a window, which gave them a clear view of Seattle at night. After ordering their dinners, they began talking about more basics – favorites, dislikes, their families. The doctor side of April came out and briefly asked about Dylan's arm. Once their food came, Jackson decided to make their conversation a little more interesting.

"So, a couple of years ago, I was on a first date with this woman I met through a friend. She thought we should play an icebreaker game to relieve any awkwardness between us. That idea actually didn't work out for us, but why don't we try it out?" he suggested.

"Are you sure? What if I end up throwing my wine at you before the date's over?" April jokingly asked.

"It might be fun," he insisted. "Let's try something easy first. Something most people don't care about, but you do. Me, for example, I don't like feet."

"What?" she chuckled, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. "You don't like feet?"

Jackson rubbed the top of his shaved head and smirked. "I know having feet is important for walking and all, but some people just have really disgusting feet, you know? Creeps me out." April stared back at him amused. "I'm sure it doesn't bother you, you being a doctor and all. For the record, I don't hate all feet."

"Okay, well… I do have this quirky thing that makes me cringe whenever it happens. You know when people are eating and their teeth scrapes the fork, and you hear the noise?" She suddenly shuddered after the history teacher ate a piece of his steak and managed to hear the unbearable noise she was explaining. "Like you just did."

He paused before slowly chewing his food. "Sorry."

April shook her head, feeling embarrassed. "No, it's fine. It's a weird thing to be disturbed by. My friends at work will purposely do it because they know it gets on my nerves. It's like scratching your nails against a chalkboard. I can't stand it," she explained and slightly smiled. "I suppose that's more specific than your feet issues."

"No, no. This is good. This is how the game works. Your turn. Pick a topic."

"Hmm…" She pressed her lips together and quietly thought of something to talk about. "What is something most people can do that you can't? I can't whistle."

"Easy. I can't dance," Jackson admitted and laughed. "The last time I danced was probably nine and a half years ago at my wedding reception. That was a slow dance too." He sipped his wine before he spoke again. "This is probably the biggest icebreaker of them all, but… how are you single?"

April appeared slightly taken aback by the question, clearing her throat after she swallowed her food. "Umm…" She nervously laughed knowing her cheeks were turning a rosy shade of red. Talking about her ex-boyfriend didn't happen often and she only discussed her single life woes with Lexie. "I dated a guy from work. He still works there in the Dermatology department. We were together for a year. He proposed to me on our anniversary, but I turned him down."

"Why?" he curiously asked. "I mean, if you're comfortable answering that."

"It didn't feel right to me. He was a sweet man, but I wasn't ready to settle down," she softly replied. "And surgery was taking up most of my life that spending time together came far less frequently."

Jackson slowly nodded as he ate another piece of steak. Since she never mentioned how long ago the relationship was, he wondered if April still felt that way. He knew she had only been living in Seattle for about two years, so it had to have been recent. But he didn't want to judge her based on that. His own history with his ex-wife probably topped her failed relationship.

"My ex-wife and I met when we were undergrads at UW. We were the cliché college sweethearts. Attended graduate school together, got married along the way, then she landed a job with Nike six months after Dylan was born," he recalled. "She's a regional marketing manager at their headquarters. It was awesome at first until she wanted to move to Portland, so the commute would be easier. I loved my job here and neither of us were willing to compromise. She refused to quit and chose to move – without me. I wanted the kids to stay here and one would think she would fight that, but surprisingly, she agreed. Work over family. That pretty much summed up our downfall."

April casually grabbed her glass of wine and took a large sip. How exactly was she supposed to respond to _that_? "I… I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Listen, she's not a bad mother or anything. Just a crappy wife," Jackson bitterly answered, then he half-smiled at the redhead. "But if I was still married to her, we wouldn't be sitting here having dinner."

"There's always an upside to every downfall," she noted, politely smiling back at him. Now, she suddenly felt the urge to track down his ex-wife and shake the stupidity out of her. Jackson treated her so kindly and was sweet. She couldn't understand why this woman would want to leave him _and_ their children. "Do you tell this story to all of your first dates?"

He shook his head and softly laughed. "I don't, I promise. Honestly, I never go this deep with a woman I'm just getting to know better, but you're different. I feel like I can already trust you and you seem like somebody who's willing to listen."

"I do try to be a reliable friend to people," April proudly stated. "And I feel the same way around you."

Jackson grinned brightly back at her. The icebreaker game was paying off for a change. They had reached an awkward period in their conversation and were able to move past it without the date turning into a disaster. It was the best progress he had experienced with a woman since meeting his ex-wife. "That's very good to know."

* * *

><p>Pulling up outside of April's apartment complex, Jackson parked his car beside the sidewalk and turned off the ignition. It had been a successful night. He hadn't smiled and laughed so much in a long time. It was also clear to him that she enjoyed their date as she had continued their conversation from the restaurant during the drive home. A part of him didn't want the night to be over. Even though they learned more about each other, he felt there was still more to know about the trauma surgeon.<p>

"And we're here," he sighed, trying to hide the little disappointment he felt.

April unfastened her seatbelt and smiled at her date. "Thank you for dinner, Jackson. Tonight was really fun." She clutched her purse against her lap. Instead of leaving the car, she remained seated. What was she waiting for? It was like her backside was glued to the seat and she couldn't move.

"We should definitely do this again sometime." Jackson's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, while he grinned back at the redhead.

The car grew silent. Both of them quietly stared back at each other like they suddenly couldn't find anything to talk about anymore, yet they had an idea what the other one was thinking without having to ask. The date was practically flawless and the best way to end it was to…

April leaned forward, grasping Jackson's cheeks as their lips finally connected. He quickly removed his seatbelt to make himself more comfortable, one hand resting on her waist and the other cupping her cheek as he deepened the kiss. She let out a muffled moan when his hand traveled up her side and grazed her breast. His hands were especially grabby, though he couldn't help himself. He refused to openly admit it, but he hadn't had sex in over a year.

She clutched his jacket, pulling him towards her like she wanted him to climb on top of her. Although, it wasn't the most comfortable space to be making out in. Jackson groaned when the parking brake hit his groin area. "Oh, gosh! Was that my fault?"

"No, it's not you," he sheepishly replied, his hand pressing down on his lap. "I guess that was a sign for me to go home and make sure the kids are still alive."

"I pretty much pounced on you. Sorry about that. It was the cologne, I swear," April noted, running her fingers through her hair as she softly laughed. "I mean, it's not just your cologne. I- I do like you a lot."

Jackson chuckled, taking a moment to appreciate the fact that she loved the smell of his cologne. Perhaps he had good taste in scents after all. "I understand what you mean. I've been wanting to kiss you for some time now. I just wasn't sure how to approach the situation," he admitted. "Actually, it almost feels like high school again. First date, first kiss. You want to make the first move, but you don't want to come off too eager."

"Hmm, yeah… that wasn't me in high school," the trauma surgeon answered, fidgeting with the strap of her purse. She opened the car door, then she shyly smiled at him. "Thank you again for tonight."

"Hold on a second." He leaned forward, stroking her chin and gently kissing her lips. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"That's a question you know the answer to. And tell Dylan I loved the flowers. Goodnight, Jackson," she murmured, continuing to smile as she climbed out of his car.

After watching her enter the apartment complex, Jackson playfully pounded his fists against the steering wheel to celebrate. He grinned brightly throughout the drive back to his house and it never left his face when he walked inside to find Jo sitting alone in the living room.

Jo turned off the TV and gathered her belongings as he greeted her. "Kids are in bed, all of their homework is done and Dylan 'broke up' with me because he says he has a new girlfriend. Someone named Dr. April?" she asked humorously. "And based on the look on your face, I'd say you had a very good night."

Jackson reached for his wallet to pay his babysitter her due. "Oh, yes. The date went well." He handed her some cash and opened the front door for the brunette. "So neither kids were a hassle tonight?"

"Nope- well, Charlotte was in a bit of a mood, but she wouldn't tell me why. Dylan just kept going on and on about this Dr. April. For the most part, we had a relaxing night. I'm positive the ice cream knocked out Dylan. He had a bit of a sugar rush afterwards, so he should be sleeping like a baby," she explained before stepping out of the house. "See you at school, Coach A!"

He waved her goodbye, then he went upstairs to check on the children and to take a shower. First, he took a quick peek into Charlotte's bedroom. She was sound asleep in her bed and he briefly walked into her bedroom to give her a late kiss goodnight on the forehead. When Jackson entered Dylan's bedroom he thought his 5-year old was asleep until he moved closer to the bed.

"Hi, Daddy!" Dylan squeaked, causing his father to slightly jump. "How was the date?"

Jackson turned on the bedside lamp and smirked at his son. "You're supposed to be sleeping, buddy."

"I know, but I can't sleep. Did Dr. April like da flowers?" he eagerly questioned.

"Yes, she did. You made a very good choice with that." The older Avery kissed Dylan's forehead and rubbed the top of his head. "I'll tell you more tomorrow, okay? But you have to go to sleep now. You have school tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Goodnight, Dylan."

Jackson turned off the lamp and looked over his shoulder to ensure that Dylan would try to sleep this time on his way out. He slowly closed the door behind him, then he went into his own bedroom. Falling back onto his bed, he pulled his cell phone out from his pocket and began typing a text message to April. A minute later, he received a response.

_Thinking about you too :)_

He stared at his cell phone with a wide grin on his face. He couldn't wait to see her again.

* * *

><p>The next morning, April entered the attendings' lounge to begin her shift. Unsurprising to her, Lexie was sitting on the couch waiting for her arrival. She walked across the room towards a closet smiling from ear to ear. "Good morning!" the redhead chirped.<p>

Her friend sat up, raising her eyebrow at April. "Someone's in a more than usually chipper mood. You're glowing."

"You're looking at a woman who had a lovely date with the most handsome man I've ever met," she gloated, turning away from the closet to face Lexie. She quickly changed into her scrub top. "It was perfect. Dinner went well. We had so much to talk about and… he has very smooth lips."

"So, you two made out or… what?" the neurosurgeon asked curiously.

"There was some kissing. That's all I will say," April teased, giggling at Lexie's distressed groan.

Lexie stood up and approached her coworker. "Okay, that's great. That means you two could double date with Mark and I soon. There's going to be another date, right? There has to be one. You're way happier about this date than all of your blind dates combined," she noted.

"I'll give him a couple of more dates before you two start interrogating him," she quipped.

All April wanted to do was spend more time with Jackson again – alone. Sure, she would want to introduce him to her friends eventually, but she wanted to make sure their first date would lead to more successful dates. Also, she thought Mark might embarrass her with his bluntness. Meeting the plastic surgeon was like reaching the first boss level in an old school Nintendo game. He was somewhat difficult, but it wasn't impossible to win over his approval.

Her cell phone notified her of a new text message and she immediately opened it when she saw Jackson's name. She happily grinned at what he had sent her.

_Enjoy your day, beautiful! I'll call you tonight._

"You're blushing, April," Lexie pointed out and laughed at her friend's bashfulness. "If that's him, you must really think he's worth a hundred dates. You haven't smiled like this in months."

She happily nodded as she wrote him a reply. "Yes. Yes, he is."

* * *

><p><strong>btw, the ex-wife's identity will be anonymous for a while. Let me know what you think please :)<strong>


	4. That Sparkle

**Thanks again for the reviews! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Starting a new relationship with a woman came rare for Jackson. Since divorcing his ex-wife, the longest relationship he had with another woman was three weeks. They would start off fresh before reality hit them both. She either had little interest in his children or the chemistry between them fizzled. He simply couldn't find somebody who met him halfway. Being a single father seemed to have more cons than pros for him in the dating scene.<p>

That changed with April. Every minute Jackson spent with her brought new feelings, _good_ feelings about her. Her presence alone made him happy. He hadn't felt so alive with a woman since being with his ex-wife in college. They were having fun at the time, which was what he and the trauma surgeon were experiencing, but he knew they could be more than that. And one half of his children liked her. Most women he briefly dated in the past couldn't even reach that level. He was determined to convince Charlotte, though, that April wasn't evil stepmother material.

But that moment would have to wait because the children were with their mother for the weekend. In the meantime, it meant another date with his girlfriend – or almost girlfriend. They hadn't quite established exactly what they were yet. Although, they had been on two more dates – one each week – since their first official date. Now, it was time for date number four.

It was Friday night and she had suggested hanging out at the Emerald City Bar located across the street from Seattle Grace Hospital. April also wanted to introduce the history teacher to Mark and Lexie. They had heard enough about Jackson, but wanted to meet the pretty boy in person.

He sat at the bar counter with a half-empty bottle of Blue Moon and a basket of peanuts in front of him while he waited for April and her friends to arrive. The bar, also known as Joe's after the owner, was surprisingly not crowded on a Friday night.

"You're a new face. Did you just move into town?" Joe the bartender inquired from behind the bar counter.

"Oh, no. Been living in Seattle for about fourteen years now," Jackson politely answered, cracking open another peanut. "Just my first time in this bar. I don't really get to visit bars that often."

"So, what brings you here?"

"I'm waiting for my… a friend," he reluctantly replied, reaching for his beer. "A friend who's a girl. She's a surgeon at the hospital."

Joe pressed his palms on top of the counter and smiled at Jackson. "Oh, yeah? Which one? I'm familiar with a lot of the doctors from Seattle Grace. This is their go-to place to unwind after their shifts," he noted. "Give me a name. I bet you I know her. Residents and attendings come and go, but I always remember their names and drink choices."

"Alright. April Kepner."

"My scotch girl," the burly man proudly stated and chuckled. "Dr. Kepner is a good friend of mine. Comes over after a long day, sits here at the bar and asks for a scotch. On her worst days, she goes for the tequila shots, but that hasn't happened in months. Yeah, she's mainly a scotch type. Sweet girl, though."

Jackson smiled, nodding in agreement. "She's pretty awesome." He checked his watch. April's shift was supposed to end thirty minutes ago. He hoped she hadn't been called back for an emergency, but he was fully aware that her schedule changed all the time. Fortunately, he received a text message from the redhead telling him that she was on her way to the bar.

"You're a pretty guy." Mark sat beside Jackson at the bar counter after arriving alone and smugly grinned at him. "Nice cheekbones and I can definitely see the sparkles in those greens. You're genetically blessed."

"Uhh, thank you?" he awkwardly replied, his eyes wandering away from the plastic surgeon. Jackson sipped his beer and slightly shifted his stool away from Mark's. "I'm into women, by the way."

To his relief, the next customer to enter the bar was April with Lexie following her from behind. She wore a red blouse and skinny blue jeans, but her face screamed exhaustion, despite the smile she sported as she approached him. "Hey, I hope we're not too late," she greeted him, her arms snaking over Jackson's shoulders as she gently rested against his back. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I see you've met Mark."

Mark extended his hand out to Jackson, who stared at him dumbfounded. "Mark Sloan, Chief of Plastics at Seattle Grace," he amusingly introduced himself.

"Oh, _you're_ Mark," he sheepishly said, forcing a smile as he shook the older man's hand. The history teacher never felt more embarrassed. He had just assumed one of April's bosses was a gay pervert. "I mean, April's told me about you, but I really had no idea that you're him. I'm sorry. I thought you were hitting on me earlier with all of the superficial compliments."

"Sometimes Sloan can't turn off his doctor switch around attractive people," Lexie pointed out before stepping in between the two men. She smiled as she offered her hand out to Jackson. "I'm Lexie Grey. It's nice to finally meet you up close and personal. The sparkle is real after all."

"Wh- what is this sparkle thing?" Jackson asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

April and Lexie simply giggled in response, then the redhead sat down beside him and lightly slapped her palm against the countertop. "Joe, the usual for me, please!" she cheerfully requested. She turned towards Jackson. "I hope you weren't waiting too long for us. I had to sign some discharge papers before I could change out of my scrubs."

Jackson smiled, grabbing a hold of her hand. "No, it's fine. I somewhat just got here myself."

Joe set a small glass half-filled with scotch in front of April. "Here you go, Kepner."

"Thanks, Joe!" the trauma surgeon chirped, taking her glass and nodding her head towards an empty booth. "Hey, how about we sit over there? We'll be able to talk to each other better."

The foursome moved to the booth, the pairs sitting across from each other. Jackson quietly listened to the story of how Mark and Lexie became a couple. She was an intern at Seattle Grace when they first met and had fooled around behind the scenes in the beginning. Their sexual relationship eventually turned into romance and by the time April joined the staff from Cleveland, they were living together. Now, they were engaged and their wedding was scheduled in May.

When he thought about it, if he had started a relationship with one of his students, he would be in prison right now. Jackson slightly chuckled to himself thinking about how both he and Mark were teachers, yet the latter could get away with sleeping with his student because she was past the legal age. And he learned that Mark had a history of sleeping around until Lexie came into his life. More power to him, he thought.

"So, Avery, you were married, huh?" Mark inquired, a mischievous grin on his face. "You think you'll want to jump into marriage again?"

Jackson awkwardly laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Umm, sure. Of course. I mean, my kids are my priority, but it would be nice to find someone who loves them too." He side eyed April, who was nervously drinking her scotch. "Do you think I'm not marriage material or something?"

"Oh, no. How would I know that? I just met you, man," he teased. "How old are your kids?"

"I have a daughter, Charlotte. She's eight. And my son, Dylan, is five."

April waved at Joe from her seat and held up her empty glass when she got his attention. She hadn't expected Mark to literally interrogate Jackson right off the bat. Her insecurities were slowly beginning to show because of her coworker's questions. She and Jackson were still new. Although they texted and called each other every day, the deep, personal questions were probably too soon for him.

But she knew she should have expected this from Mark Sloan.

"You like football?" Mark continued. "The hospital's got this rec flag team that plays against other hospitals once a month. If you're interested, you know, I could write you in as being a part of the janitorial staff on the surgical wing."

"Janitor," Jackson recited slowly. He pursed his lips before forcing a half-smile. "Thanks, but I can't. I had to medically retire from football when I was at UW, so my playing days have been over for quite some time."

"That's unfortunate," Lexie stated and sighed. "I bet you would've been a stud in the NFL if you could still play."

Jackson quickly shrugged. "It's possible. I don't know. Teaching has always been my main interest, to be honest." He turned his head, smiling at April. "And meeting somebody who's just as passionate about teaching as I am is a plus."

The redhead shyly returned the smile. She felt relieved when Joe delivered her second glass of scotch. "Thanks, Joe!"

"Was your ex-wife a teacher too?" Mark asked next.

"No. She works for Nike in Beaverton. She's in regional marketing," Jackson answered, then he softly laughed. "She actually gives me a new pair of shoes every month as a way to keep us in good terms."

"Oh, yeah? It's possible we wear the same shoe size. You think you can hook me up with a free pair?" he playfully questioned. Lexie slapped his shoulder in response. "What? You must have a large collection by now considering you've been divorced for- wait, how long has it been?"

April cleared her throat after sipping her scotch. "Jackson, you don't have to answer that. In fact, you could just start ignoring Mark's questions for the rest of the night," she insisted, sheepishly grinning at him. She patted his shoulder and nervously laughed. "He doesn't exactly have a filter."

"Yeah, I can't really defend him for that," Lexie concurred with a smirk. "Can I just say that you are a godsend? Because April practically hated every guy we set her up with before she met you. We weren't sure she would ever get over Topher."

"Lexie!" she retorted, gripping her glass tightly in her hands. "I don't think talking about our exes is the best topic for drinks conversation. There are a lot of other things we can talk about that won't make any of us uncomfortable."

Mark nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'm sorry." He paused to sip his beer, then he blurted out, "How's the sex?"

* * *

><p>Jackson led an intoxicated April out of an elevator after it arrived on the floor in her apartment building. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she struggled to walk normally. He had an arm secured around her waist to prevent her from falling flat on her face. April wasn't a heavy drinker and she typically only had one glass of scotch every once in a while. She also drank it very slowly. In this case, two glasses and Mark's invasive questions caused her to down them fairly quickly. Her body wasn't used to drinking hard liquor so fast and it showed.<p>

"We're here," he announced, stopping in front of the front door. April fumbled with her purse and found her keys. However, her drunken state made it difficult for her to insert her apartment key into the keyhole. He politely took the key from her and opened the door for her. "There you go."

She entered her apartment, then she turned around and pressed her cheek against the doorway. "Are you coming in?"

He gently bit on his bottom lip wondering if she was serious or too drunk to realize what she was asking. Then again, they weren't strangers to each other and were basically dating exclusively. And he wasn't sure why he was second guessing himself. "Okay."

April grinned, pulling Jackson inside. He barely managed to close the door when she yanked him towards her by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard on the lips. It was a sloppy kiss, but he couldn't stop himself from returning the kiss. They were finally alone again, albeit the redhead wasn't sober. He wondered if they were going to have sex. It worried him that they could be because he hadn't prepared himself for it. In college, he was _always_ prepared, but his lack of sex in the past year caused him to forget to store a condom in his wallet.

She guided him towards the couch and pushed him onto his back. "You're so… sexy."

"And you are very drunk," he amusingly noted as she straddled his lap. His hands slowly ran up her jean covered thighs and around to her backside.

April leaned in and captured Jackson's lips again. She writhed against his lap, drawing muffled groans from him. He squeezed her backside in return and she softly moaned against his lips. Their makeout session was a little rough with the trauma surgeon shoving her tongue into his mouth as much as she could. He knew sober April would be more hesitant about her approach.

She was _very_ drunk.

One of Jackson's hands slipped inside the back of her shirt, leaving his other hand planted on her ass. The fact that her knee was pressed against his erection through his jeans drove him crazy, but he didn't want to stop her. At the same time, he thought maybe he was taking advantage of her. He definitely didn't want her waking up and possibly regretting how their night ended – if she could remember it.

"April," he mumbled, slightly moving his head away from her. "Are we…"

"Kissing? We were until you pulled away, silly," she chuckled. April began peppering kisses along Jackson's jaw line. "I'm sorry about Mark. He can be a jackass sometimes."

"It's okay. Honestly, he didn't bother me _that_ much." Jackson cupped April's cheek and brought her lips back towards his. He attempted to put himself back into the mood when she suddenly stopped reciprocating his kisses and her weight fell on top of him. Her mouth was slightly open and resting on the corner of his lips. "April?"

She had fallen asleep on him. The combination of an exhausting day at work and the scotch had suddenly knocked her out. Jackson lifted April's head with both hands and her eyes were closed. Fortunately, she was still breathing, but she was sound asleep. He smirked. Nobody had ever fallen asleep on him the way she did.

Slowly sitting up on the couch, Jackson adjusted April's body and carefully stood up as he carried her in his arms. She never turned on the lights in the living room, so her apartment was dark with the exception of the lights illuminating the room from outside. He found the small hallway that led to her bedroom, then he set her on the bed. After removing her shoes, he pulled the blanket over her waist and watched her sleep for a minute.

Now, he wasn't sure what to do next. He could stay since the children were in Portland, but spending the night seemed too soon in their relationship. They weren't going to sleep in the same bed, so he supposed it wouldn't be a problem if he crashed on her couch. He just didn't want to leave her alone in the current state she was in.

Jackson noticed a family photo sitting on April's bedside table. It was a picture of herself with her parents and three sisters. They appeared to be a harmless bunch based on the perky smiles on their faces. She was family oriented just like he was. Although, he hadn't grown up as a family oriented boy. His overbearing mother and the lack of a father in his life caused him to resent his own bloodline. It wasn't until he had children of his own did his attitude change towards family. He loved being a father – and he also appreciated the fact that April didn't hate children.

He set the picture frame down before leaving the bedroom. After a quick detour to the bathroom, Jackson returned to the living room to get some sleep. Kicking off his shoes, he lay down on the couch and shut his eyes.

* * *

><p>The next morning, April awoke to a familiar, yet rare pounding in her head. The blinds in her bedroom remained closed, so she felt fortunate avoiding the blinding sunlight upon opening her eyes. She slowly sat up on her bed, immediately placing her hands against her temples as the throbbing became worse. One glass was her normal limit. Finishing two glasses of scotch in less than ten minutes had been a terrible idea. She could still feel the burning sensation from gulping it down so quickly.<p>

She struggled to remember what happened at Joe's. After the second glass, her head began to feel like it was spinning. She was certain her date with Jackson ended early, but she couldn't remember how she got home.

First, she made a quick trip to the bathroom to freshen up. On her way out, April could hear faint sounds coming from the kitchen. Slowly walking down the hallway, she stopped in the living room when she found Jackson cooking by the stove. She rushed back into the bathroom to do a second hair check, then she casually returned to the living room and cleared her throat to catch his attention.

"You're- you're still here," she reluctantly greeted him.

Jackson smiled while he transferred eggs onto a plate. "I hope you don't mind that I slept on your couch. You passed out on me last night."

"Passed out? Like I blacked out?"

"More like you fell asleep on top of me when we were making out on your couch," he recalled, chuckling at her wide-eyed, open mouthed facial expression. "Don't worry about it. I tucked you into your bed. I'm actually really good at tucking people in."

April covered her face and groaned loudly. "Oh my gosh. This is so embarrassing!" She dropped her hands to her sides, sporting a pout on her face as she approached Jackson. "I… I didn't do anything extremely humiliating or regretful last night, did I? I mean, alcohol and I are mainly acquaintances. I don't get drunk often and- and I don't drink that much scotch in one night."

The history teacher stood in front of her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You have a remarkable tongue," he teasingly said.

"Did I umm…" Her eyes darted down towards the front of Jackson's jeans. "Please tell me I didn't."

"No, no. I promise. Everything happened above the waist," he insisted, smirking back at her. Jackson gestured towards their breakfast sitting on the kitchen counter. "I made us some eggs, toast and chopped up some fruit. Fortunately, there were bananas. That'll help with your hangover. You don't have a lot of things in your refrigerator."

The redhead sighed. "Yeah, I haven't had time to go to the grocery store," she guiltily replied. At first, she felt embarrassed to be wearing the same clothes from the previous night until she realized he was too. "Thank you for staying. I'm so sorry for what happened. Mark sometimes asks inappropriate questions and I didn't want you to hate my friends-"

"April, it's fine. I don't think Mark was too out of line. I'll be honest that I wanted to kick him in the shin at one point, but he's a cool guy. And Lexie's a sweet person." Jackson tucked strands of April's auburn hair behind her ears. "And I didn't want to go home worrying about you. I would've gone home to an empty place anyway, so why not just stay here with my girlfriend?"

Girlfriend. The word sounded like a happy song coming from Jackson's mouth. Suddenly, the opening tune of 'N Sync's "Girlfriend" started to play in her head. She immediately shook it out of her mind, grimacing after she intensified the painful throbbing that had been bothering her since she woke up.

"That's the first time you've called me that," she noted, smiling softly up at him.

"Well, I hope you want to be my girlfriend," he sheepishly answered and slipped his hands into his front pockets. "God, I haven't had to do this whole 'Will you be my girlfriend?' thing since I was 19. I really enjoy spending time with you and I want to have more dates with you. I'm sure that's been obvious to you since our first date."

April wrapped her arms over Jackson's lower back and leaned against his body. She pressed her cheek against his chest and continued to smile. "You have been so sweet to me since the day we met. You're almost too sweet."

Jackson gleefully smiled to himself before forcing himself to pull away from her. He took her hand and guided her towards the small dining table beside the kitchen. "Let's get some food into your system."

He brought two plates of food to the dining table and set one in front of April. They ate their breakfast and Jackson tried to provide a recap of what had happened at Joe's the previous night. She still seemed embarrassed about how she behaved, but managed to laugh when he explained what happened on her couch afterwards. After breakfast, he offered to wash the dishes, while she leaned back against the counter and watched. He was such a gentleman and surprisingly very domestic. Although, she figured she shouldn't expect less from a single father of two.

"You want to go see a movie tonight?" he asked, his voice sounding hopeful. April had a day off from work and without his kids around, he wanted another date with her.

"Sure. Hopefully, my hangover will be gone by then. If not, I suppose I can run across to the hospital and swipe a bag of potassium," she quipped.

Jackson turned off the faucet when the last dish was finished, then he removed the rubber gloves and set them aside. He stepped in front of her, cupping her cheeks with both hands and pulling her towards his lips. "I only have to grade some exams, but I can stay a little longer," he murmured, deepening their kiss.

April threw her arms over his shoulders and he responded by lifting her onto the counter. His hands ran down her sides and slipped underneath her shirt. He began to lift it up, then she grabbed his hands to stop him. "No, wait." She sat back and scrunched her nose. "This is not how I want our first time to be – me hungover and both of us wearing the same clothes from last night."

"Hmm… I guess you're right," he agreed, feeling slightly disappointed. "Wait. Are you a-"

"No! No, I'm not. I just… would like this to happen when my head doesn't feel like it's about to explode. And maybe in a bed?" The redhead grimaced, placing her hands against Jackson's chest. "I want our first time to be _really_ good."

He couldn't disagree with her request. Of course he wanted the same thing too. His dry spell also made him somewhat apprehensive, like he could forget how to have sex in the first place. The last thing Jackson wanted was to make April think he was horrible in bed.

"Alright. How about I give you time to recuperate?" he suggested, helping her off of the counter. "I'll do that and take care of my work at home. Pick you up tonight?"

April nodded as she led Jackson to the front door. She opened it for him and watched him step out into the hallway. "Thank you again for taking care of me. I still feel like a total loser about it, but I'm grateful," she shyly said.

"It's no problem at all. Let me know what time you want me to pick you up. I'll check out what movies we could watch later." Jackson leaned in and softly kissed April's lips. He coaxed her into another kiss before she playfully pushed him back. "I'm going! I'm going!"

She giggled at his charm and closed the door when he left. Leaning back against the door, April sighed happily. Any other man would have likely made her feel awful or worse – taken advantage of her in her drunken state, but not Jackson. Her ex-boyfriend had been a gentleman and respected her more than she probably respected herself. There was something about her new boyfriend that made her feel extra special, though.

Maybe Mark and Lexie were right. It was that freaking sparkle.

* * *

><p>"Here we go, Dylan. It's finally time to take that cast off," April cheerfully declared. Six weeks since Dylan broke his arm, it was time to free it from his scribble decorated purple cast. His latest x-rays showed that his ulna appeared to be fully healed, so she decided that he no longer needed the cast. "Are you excited?"<p>

"Do I get to keep it?" the 5-year old asked eagerly, his legs dangling back and forth over the edge of his chair.

"You could, but it might have a stinky stench to it," she answered with a wink. "I'm not sure your daddy wants your bedroom to become smelly."

Jackson stood beside Dylan's chair with his hands inside of his pockets. "I think it's best if we throw it away, buddy," he agreed, gently rubbing the top of his son's head.

April picked up the small cast saw and turned it on. "I promise this won't hurt at all. Just stay still, okay?" She moved the saw closer to Dylan's arm and he flinched in response. "Don't be scared. I won't cut your arm off."

"But what if you do?" he asked worriedly.

"Trust me, sweetie. I won't let anything bad happen to your arm," the trauma surgeon assured him and smiled. She slowly began cutting into the cast. Dylan appeared fearful initially, but soon relaxed in his seat. She carefully pulled apart the cast to reveal his arm. "See? All done!"

Dylan stared at his left arm, which was slightly discolored. "How come it looks like that?"

"Oh, that's normal for everybody. It'll go away soon." April took his hand. "Can you give my hand a tight squeeze? Squeeze as tightly as you can," she instructed. He did as he was told. "Good job. Did that hurt?"

"Nope! Did I hurt your hand, Dr. April? I'm kind of strong, you know," he claimed proudly.

She let out a laugh. "My hand is fine, but I definitely felt your strength."

Jackson pointed at a rosy spot on Dylan's arm. "Is that a rash?"

April inspected the area closely and nodded. "It is, but it doesn't look serious. I'll send you over to Dermatology to pick up some cream for this, though." She wrote out a prescription on her pad, then she handed it to Jackson. "Just give this to whoever's working at the front desk and they'll help you out. You don't actually need a prescription for this, but they'll help you out faster if they see it came from a doctor."

"Thanks for the tip. Where _is_ Dermatology?"

"Okay, so you take a right and then you…" She paused, biting on her bottom lip. Finding the Dermatology department from the ER was like attempting to find the exit of a maze. Even she occasionally forgot where it was located. "Actually, I can take you there. It's sometimes difficult to find."

April led the two Avery boys into an elevator and rode it two floors up. They began walking down a hallway while she explained Dylan's post-cast treatment now that his cast was off. Jackson loved listening to her spit out medical terms. It made her even sexier to him when she was in doctor mode. Dylan held his father's hand and tried to listen in on their conversation.

"Dr. April, are you gonna get ice cream with us after?" he interrupted.

"Oh, sorry, I can't. I'm still working," she politely apologized. "Maybe next time."

Despite dating Jackson for over a month, she hadn't actually spent quality time with her boyfriend _and_ his children yet. The timing wasn't quite there because of her unpredictable schedule, but she also thought they weren't at that level in their relationship. Bonding with Charlotte and Dylan was a deal breaker for her and she didn't want to mess it up on the first try.

After two wrong turns, April found the entrance to the Dermatology department. She stood outside and gestured towards the open doors. "Here we are. My job here is done," she awkwardly said.

"You're not going in with us?" Jackson asked curiously.

"Don't worry. They'll give you the CeraVe cream when you ask for it." She chewed on her bottom lip and fidgeted with her pager. "You're good, right? I'm pretty sure I told you everything you need to do for Dylan. If you come upon any complications, you know you can call me."

Jackson slowly nodded, leaning in to kiss her only to stop himself. They had made a rule not to show any public displays of affection while April was working. It was torture, but he respected that rule. "Call you tonight?"

"Yes. Always," the redhead delightfully agreed. She bent over and gave Dylan a hug. "Take care of your arm, okay? No more broken bones for you."

Dylan waved as she walked away from them. "Thank you, Dr. April!" He grinned at Jackson when she returned the wave. "I love our girlfriend."

Jackson smiled in amusement. His son had been referring to April as _our_ girlfriend for a couple of weeks now after he overheard him talking to Izzie about his new relationship. "Let's get your cream, so we can pick up Charlotte from soccer practice and stop by Molly Moon's on the way home."

Walking into Dermatology was like entering a dream sequence. It looked nothing like the rest of the hospital. There were couches inside for visitors and nobody was moving at a frantic pace like the surgeons normally did. It was peaceful – and slightly creepy. Jackson approached the front desk where a Caucasian man in peach colored scrubs stood behind it.

"Uhh, hey. I'm here to pick up some CeraVe cream for my son," the pretty boy greeted the man, handing him April's fake prescription.

The man skimmed the piece of paper and chuckled. "Oh, Dr. Kepner's still using her little trick. Yeah, she does this all the time, so her patients can get the help they need right away," he noted. "She's great. Always wanting the best for her patients."

Jackson eyed the man suspiciously. He appeared to be smitten over his girlfriend based on how bashful he spoke about her. Looking at his badge, his name was _Topher_. Was this the same ex-boyfriend Topher? He remembered hearing his name at Joe's and hadn't thought much about it. It made more sense to him why April refused to follow him inside. Topher looked a little smaller and less muscular compared to Jackson, but he seemed relatively harmless.

"Umm, yeah. She's pretty awesome," Jackson said nonchalantly.

"Are you two… friends?"

"Something like that." He extended out his hand. "I'm Jackson."

"Topher Cole," he responded, shaking Jackson's hand. "April doesn't really have a lot of friends outside of the hospital, so this is different."

All Jackson could think about was how freaking soft Topher's hand was. It was as smooth as a baby's bottom. Dermatology used their hands all the time. The lotions they used made his own hand feel like sandpaper. "Your hands are really, really smooth."

Topher snorted, drawing a raised eyebrow from Jackson. He cleared his throat and pointed at a massage therapist who was working on one of his coworkers' hands. "Because our hands are vital to treating our patients, our department receives massages when we're not busy."

Now, all he could think about was how those hands treated April. Jackson quickly snapped out of his jealous thoughts and forced a smile. "The cream, please?" he asked, trying not to sound too impatient.

"Oh, right. Just give me a second. I'll get it from the back. Would you like some water with raspberries while you wait?" Topher offered and picked up a pitcher of water with raspberries inside.

"No, thank you. Just want the cream." Jackson furrowed his brow at the water after the dermatologist left to retrieve Dylan's cream.

The department was very classy and tidy, and it was occupied by Stepford doctors. One of them was April's ex-boyfriend. He was actually polite and didn't seem to hold a grudge towards the trauma surgeon after they broke up. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the guy.

And Jackson started to despise him for that reason.

* * *

><p><strong>No Charlotte in this one, but there will be some AprilCharlotte interaction in the next chapter! Let me know what you think please :)**


	5. First Time For Another First Time

**Thank you for the reviews! Hope you like this chapter because I enjoyed writing this one :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Daddy, I got a spare!" Charlotte excitedly celebrated her first ever spare, skipping towards Jackson and receiving a high five from her father. The bumpers were in use for the children, but a spare was a spare. They didn't go bowling very often to begin with.<p>

A special guest was joining them that weekend. Jackson managed to convince April go bowling with them. She had been reluctant at first, but she couldn't stall spending time with her boyfriend _and_ his children anymore. It wasn't that she _didn't_ want to bond with Charlotte and Dylan. She was nervous more than anything. She didn't want them looking at her as their mother's replacement. Perhaps a new friend was her goal.

Also, she was horrible at bowling. It was a little bit embarrassing to be grateful for the bumpers.

While April waited for her turn, Dylan kept her company on their bench and showed off his stuffed tiger to her. "This is Spudnik!" he said, waving around his bedtime buddy in front of the trauma surgeon's face.

"His name is Sputnik?" she chuckled. The science nerd in her was pleasantly surprised that a Kindergartner in the current era knew what the artificial satellite was.

"It's Spudnik – with a D," Jackson corrected her with a smirk. He picked up his bowling bowl and nodded his head towards his son. "He has no idea what that is. He heard the name when I was watching an episode of _Friends_ and just liked the way it sounded, so that's what he named his tiger."

April slowly nodded, glancing back at Dylan. "Still, it's a cute name."

After rolling a strike, Jackson proudly grinned to himself. Next up was Dylan, so he retrieved the much lighter ball for his son. "C'mon, buddy. It's your turn," he called out to him. Because the younger Avery's arm was still tender, he did most of the bowling for him.

Sitting along the edge of the bench was Charlotte. There was a foot of space in between her and April when Dylan joined Jackson at the top of their lane. The 8-year old made little effort to talk to her since she met up with them at the bowling alley. She only offered a half-smile when April greeted her.

But April wanted to know more about Charlotte from her own mouth. She knew enough about Dylan and formed a solid bond with him, but his sister was a completely different situation. The redhead scooted towards her, softly clearing her throat. "So… do you have a favorite subject in school?"

"Yes," Charlotte murmured while she picked off old pink nail polish from her finger.

"Umm, what is it?"

"Science."

"Oh, that was my favorite subject in school too," April delightfully replied. "I know a lot about science, so if you ever want to talk about anything-"

"I don't like it _that_ much," Charlotte sneered, briefly looking back at her.

April nervously laughed, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. She wasn't used to the cold responses from children. Her nieces and nephews loved playing with her. Most of the children she encountered at the hospital were kind and polite. She preferred not to get Jackson involved hoping Charlotte would warm up to her on her own. So far, she was unlucky. On the bright side, she hadn't tried to sabotage her father's relationship with his girlfriend.

At least not yet.

She decided to make the conversation less invasive. "You have really beautiful hair," she added. Charlotte's hair was pulled up in a ponytail, but her curly, black hair was something to admire. Not to mention, her mother must be attractive as well because she had pretty facial features just like Dylan, she thought. The Avery children were blessed with attractive genes.

"Thanks," the 3rd grader responded softly. "Is your hair color real?"

April ran her fingers through her auburn hair and smiled. "Yes, it is."

"I think you'd look better with blue hair," she blurted out.

Before April could respond, Jackson returned after rolling a strike for Dylan. He sat down beside his girlfriend and patted her thigh. "Your turn." She stood up for her turn, then he scooted towards Charlotte. "This is fun, right?"

Charlotte sighed as she glanced back at her father. "Is she coming over for dinner too?"

"Not today, but I'd like her to come over someday," he admitted, trying to ignore the pout on his daughter's face. Jackson told himself to be patient with his oldest child. Unlike Dylan, she wasn't quick to buy into April's polite and perky demeanor.

However, Charlotte's question gave him an idea for his next date with April. Getting dressed up and going out to dinner was fun, but Jackson thought inviting her over to his house for dinner and a movie would be just as enjoyable. His house had a bedroom after all. Sex hadn't been brought up very often, but having the house to themselves the following weekend while the kids were in Portland seemed like the perfect time for them to take their relationship to the next level.

Not knowing what was underneath her lavender blouse and blue skinny jeans tortured him. He had an idea what _could_ be hiding beneath those clothes – her jeans outlined her backside well and he already had a fascination with her breasts from the few times they made out. Even at 32 years old, he sometimes still had the mindset of a teenage boy. They were dating for almost two whole months. He desperately wanted to see his girlfriend naked!

They would definitely talk about it first, but he hoped their next date would be _the_ date.

* * *

><p>"She hates me, Lex," April complained to her coworker while they waited for their coffees by the stand in the main lobby. She waited until her next shift to rant endlessly to Lexie about how bowling with the Averys was both entertaining and terrifying. "Charlotte would barely look at me when I talked to her. You know what? I'm normally good with kids. Most kids love me. This one… she could be a devil child."<p>

"She's eight and the child of divorced parents. Connect the dots," Lexie scoffed, grabbing two coffee cups and handing one to April. They walked towards the elevators and waited for one to arrive. "Think of it this way, Charlotte hates you because you're not her mother. She sees you as a replacement and it's possible she's hoping her parents will get back together. A lot of kids go through this."

The redhead sighed, sipping her coffee afterwards. "I'm just not used to being treated like I'm a disease . And you know what else? She thinks I would look better with blue hair!" She furrowed her brow when Lexie blankly stared at her. "What?"

"Sorry. I was trying to visualize you with blue hair," she confessed amusingly. "Honestly, maybe it wouldn't look so bad on you."

"Oh, yeah? Name someone famous who can pull off that hair color," April challenged the neurosurgeon.

Lexie thought to herself for a few seconds, then she snapped her fingers. "Sonic the Hedgehog." She laughed when her best friend rolled her eyes in response. "Lighten up, April. She's obviously testing you. Haven't you seen the movie _Stepmom_? Those little brats tried anything to get rid of Julia Roberts. You're practically her right now."

"Except my mouth is smaller," she quipped. "At least Dylan likes me. He introduced me to his stuffed tiger, which he named Spudnik."

"He's a weird a little boy. Cute, but weird," the brunette woman noted. "Kind of like you, actually. Maybe that's why he gets along with you so well. I mean, other than the fact that he has a crush on you."

April nudged Lexie's side as they stepped into an elevator. "I'm not weird." She knew she was lying, though. At home, she was the only person she knew who collected different types of rocks and gave them names when she was a preteen. "Well, you don't like apples. You're weird too."

Lexie shrugged. "I don't think they should be allowed to be a fruit, that's all."

"And you don't think that's weird?" she argued with a smirk.

"Some people don't like apples, like some don't like oranges. I'm in the anti-apple group."

"Okay, whatever you say," April replied, shaking her head. "Gosh, I'm seriously paranoid Jackson could break up with me because one half of his children hates me. The kids always come first in this situation. That's what a good parent does, they put their kids first. She could make up lies about me to turn him against me."

"You're right. You _are_ paranoid." Lexie sipped her coffee before she spoke again. "I understand that this is new territory for you. Don't assume Charlotte will hate you forever. Just because she didn't soften up to you from the start like Dylan did it doesn't mean she never will. Kids are all wired differently."

The trauma surgeon frowned. "I know. I just don't want her to be the reason why Jackson breaks up with me. That's exactly what she wants." She closed her eyes and softly groaned. "My biggest enemy is an 8-year old. How pathetic does that sound right now?"

"It's not as pathetic as Mark screaming like a little bitch baby last night when he saw a spider in the bathroom," Lexie answered, sharing a laugh with April. They walked out of the elevator when it arrived on their floor. "But if you want my advice, try not to do too much to win her over. Just let her see that you're a good person without trying too hard to be her friend. She'll come around."

April felt her cell phone vibrate in her lab coat pocket and reached inside for it. She received a new text message from Jackson with another date proposal.

_You and me at my place Saturday night? Dinner and a movie, maybe more than that?_

Her cheeks began to feel warmer as she thought about the last part of the message. She was certain he was referring to sex. "He invited me over to his place this weekend," she murmured. "What do I say?"

"How about, 'Yes, I'd love for my pants to come off this weekend'?" Lexie jokingly replied, causing April's eyes to grow wide. "What? That's basically what he's implying. Don't pretend you don't want to have sex with him. And sex is not new to you. I'm 1,000% positive he's not a virgin either since you know, there's walking proof of that."

April chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at her cell phone. "It _has_ been a while…" She rolled her eyes and started typing a reply to Jackson. "Oh, what the hell? We're not strangers. It's gotta happen at some point, right? And- and I'm a woman. I have needs too."

"And you should take advantage of those needs."

She suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Should I bring condoms?" the redhead whispered to her friend.

"I have a feeling all of the available sizes are too small for him," Lexie quipped. April sternly stared back at her in response. "He's a man. Jackson probably prepared for this night since your first date. Don't worry about the condoms. Just have fun and don't be nervous – and then tell me how it went the next day."

"Right." April finally replied to Jackson's message before placing her cell phone back into her pocket. "And after I tell you, you'll tell Mark. I think this is a date I'll be keeping to myself, thank you."

* * *

><p>Jackson stared at his cell phone with a wide grin on his face. April's response to his text message during his lunch break brought a huge boost to his mood. Prior to lunch, he had scolded a small group of his students for attempting to cheat on his midterm exam. Cheating was his biggest pet peeve and had zero sympathy for the ones who broke down and cried. He considered cheating an insult to his teaching method. Any communication with his girlfriend, no matter how brief it was, made him happy.<p>

"He's so whipped," Izzie amusingly told Reed Adamson, an English teacher and mutual friend. The two women were seated beside each other at the table in the teachers' lounge while they watched Jackson stare at his phone across from them.

"This is the same Jackson who walked in earlier with his angry face, right?" Reed asked with a smirk. She picked up a small carrot and threw it at her coworker, hitting his forehead. He finally glanced up at them as they both laughed. "Should we start calling you Mr. Whipped from now on?"

"Poke fun all you want, but I'm not the single one," Jackson smugly replied.

Izzie pretended to stab herself in the chest and keeled over against Reed's shoulder. "Ouch! That one burns," she playfully groaned, then she sat up as she shared a laugh with her friend. "Honestly, Jackson, we're happy for you. We know you haven't had the best luck in finding someone since the divorce. We've noticed how much your mood has changed in the past couple of months. And based on what you've told us about her, she seems sweet."

"When are we meeting her? You've already met her friends. What about us?" Reed inquisitively asked.

"Depends on her schedule. Traumas keep her busy on a daily basis," the history teacher explained. "Any free time she gets I try to reserve for myself and the kids. Bowling went well, though. Charlotte was still on the quiet side, but at least she didn't try to drop a bowling ball on April's foot."

Reed snickered. "Well, she won't do something terrible to April with you in the room," she implied. "She's smarter than you think."

"She knows she will be in a lot of trouble if she does," Jackson insisted. Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar visitor standing outside of the teachers' lounge. Jo stood in between the doorway as if crossing through the barrier where students weren't allowed to enter would set off a booby trap. She waved at him and he didn't hesitate to approach her. "What's up, Jo?"

The brunette woman slightly grimaced. "I can't babysit next Monday anymore," she regretfully responded. "Coach Montgomery moved volleyball practice to Monday after school, so I can't watch Charlotte and Dylan while you attend their parent-teacher conferences and you're busy grading midterm papers and stuff."

Jackson slowly nodded and offered a half-smile. "Oh, that's no problem. Thank you for telling me now instead of this weekend. I'll have plenty of time to find another babysitter," he politely replied. "Don't worry about it. I'll let you know if I need you for other days."

"Okay. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. By the way, how's that Stanford application doing? Early acceptance deadline is coming up soon."

Jo proudly smiled. "I'm finished with my final essay. Thank you for helping out with my recommendations, Coach A. I just have to double check that I completed everything before I mail it in."

"That's good. Let me know if you need my recommendation for any other schools you're applying for." Jackson and Jo parted ways and he returned to the table pinching the bridge of his nose. He sat down and sighed. "Great. I need to find another babysitter by next Monday."

"How hard will it be? You know a lot of contacts who can watch them," Izzie noted. "What about your neighbors?"

He quickly shook his head. "After the cat incident with Dylan, he's traumatized for life. I don't know my other neighbors very well. Charlotte can stay with me because I know she'll behave, but Dylan will be a handful. Someone has to watch him."

Reed raised her hand in front of chest when Jackson made eye contact with her. "Sorry, but I have a doctor's appointment after work. Hey, why not ask your doctor girlfriend?" she suggested. "It's another opportunity for her to bond with Dylan."

Jackson pursed his lips together. He wondered if April would actually be available to watch his son. His guess was that she wouldn't be, but maybe he could convince her to switch shifts with someone for a day. It would be a step up in their relationship, he thought. He hoped asking her before possible sex at his place wouldn't be a mood killer. It wouldn't hurt to ask. Despite only knowing the trauma surgeon for almost two months, he already trusted her more than his peers to watch Dylan.

"I think that'll work," he confidently stated with a grin. "Who can say no to Dylan?"

* * *

><p>April stood outside of Jackson's home suddenly feeling nervous about ringing the doorbell. His house was located in what appeared to be a friendly neighborhood. A two-story building with a simple driveway and a small wooden fence that circled around his yard set up her idea of a cozy, family home. That wasn't why her stomach was in knots, though.<p>

It was a casual date. Nothing fancy, just a home cooked meal by her boyfriend. She brought the wine. The plan was to have a relaxing Saturday evening eating dinner, watching a movie and… having sex. The third part is what made her apprehensive. It had been a long time since she had sex, since she had sex_ for the first time_. Her first experience with Topher had been awkward and memorable – but not because it was great. She didn't want to experience déjà vu with Jackson.

To prepare for their date, April had decided to try waxing, which turned out to be an experience she never wanted to go through again. She hoped all of the screaming she did would be worth it. After five minutes of waiting around outside, she finally pressed the doorbell and exhaled slowly.

Jackson opened the door after he wiped his hands with a towel and hung it against his shoulder. He wore a gray t-shirt that outline the muscles on his torso and dark blue jeans. "Hey, come in." His eyes scanned the royal blue blouse and the black skinny jeans she wore as she entered his home. He gave her a long, soft kiss before taking her free hand. "You okay with chicken piccata and pasta?"

"That sounds delicious," she cheerfully replied, following him into the kitchen. April set a bottle of red wine on the counter. "Not the greatest, but I enjoy it when I can."

"I'm sure it'll be great. You want a quick tour of the house before we eat?" he offered. She nodded in response and he quickly walked her through his house.

His office is where he stored most of his football and basketball trophies from high school. They were displayed on a shelf on one side of the room and a larger shelf filled with history books were on the opposite side. She finally saw the infamous treehouse where Dylan tried to profess his love for her in the most peculiar way. The Avery household was clean and tidy, a detail April quietly admired a lot.

"You have a nice home, Jackson," she complimented.

"I'll confess that it's not always this tidy. Dylan tends to forget to pick up his toys, so you can usually find them all over the place," he admitted with a laugh. Little did April know, Jackson spent the entire day cleaning his whole house, including the rooms that she probably wouldn't walk into. He even made sure to replace his bed sheets with fresh ones for their special night.

He asked her to sit down at the dining table while he prepared their dishes. First, he poured a glass of wine for each of them, then he brought over their dinner. She immediately approved of his cooking skills, which he couldn't help but feel smug about. He figured she didn't know many men who could cook food from scratch, an asset he was very proud of.

"So, uhh… I've got a favor to ask you," he started, pausing to swallow his food. "It's midterms week and also parent-teacher conferences at the kids' school. My original plan this upcoming Monday was to have my babysitter pick up the kids from school and watch them while I'm away and grading my students' papers, but she had to cancel. I was wondering if maybe… you could watch Dylan for me for a couple of hours?"

April's eyebrow jumped upon hearing the question. "Me?" she murmured.

"It'll be simple, really. I'll take Charlotte and you'd only have to keep an eye on Dylan. It doesn't matter where you take him as long as he behaves and listens to you," Jackson insisted and smiled. "And I know he'll listen to you because he's very comfortable being around you. If it's possible to switch shifts with someone at the hospital, could you do this for me, please? I'm slightly behind on my grading and it would mean a lot to me."

"I think I can switch with someone. Yeah, I can do that," she agreed. One day of missing work wasn't going to kill her, she thought. And Dylan was too adorable for words. She was mainly relieved that she wouldn't be watching Charlotte too. That scenario had disaster written all over it. "I'll make it work. I promise."

Jackson leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. "You're the best. Thank you."

Following dinner, April volunteered to wash the dishes because she wanted the date to feel like an equal effort between the two of them. Jackson relaxed on the couch and logged in to his Netflix account. He already had a plan in mind for the movie that he preferred to skip in order to take her upstairs sooner, but he needed the right timing to execute it flawlessly. The moment came when she told him she was going to use the bathroom before joining him in the living room.

By the time she arrived, a movie was already playing on the TV. April scrunched her nose as she sat down beside him on the couch. "_Gigli_?" she asked, sounding completely baffled by her boyfriend's taste in movies.

Jackson smirked, draping his arm over April's shoulder. "I personally believe this movie gets a bad rep. You'll enjoy it if you don't think about all of the negative publicity it received," he assured her.

"If you say so," she muttered, kicking off her flats and cozying up against his side.

About a half an hour into the film, Jackson decided to make his move. His eyes peered down at April, who appeared to be bored by what was happening on the screen. He licked his lips and dipped his head towards her neck, placing gentle kisses against her skin. She softly giggled at his advances, pulling up his head to kiss his lips.

"You never wanted to watch this, huh?" she asked in between kisses.

"Not really, no," he chuckled against her lips. Jackson cupped her behind, lifting her up and setting her on his lap. "You want to go upstairs?"

"Y-yes." She squeaked in response when he stood up and carried her in his arms in one move.

Their lips remained connected as he brought her upstairs. He blindly flipped on a switch in his bedroom and he carefully laid her on the bed. Jackson sat up on his knees and pulled his t-shirt over his head.

April stared in amazement at his six-pack abs and his perfectly toned pecs. She suspected he had an athletic body, but actually seeing it for the first time was almost overwhelming. "Oh, sweet baby Jesus," she whispered to herself, but it was loud enough for Jackson to hear and he laughed before leaning down to capture her lips again.

He slipped his hand underneath her blouse, slowly pushing it up until the hem reached her chest. She partially sat up to remove her blouse and tossed it aside. Jackson's eyes were immediately glued to the black bra she wore. The hungry look on his face caused April to blush. It had been a long time since she let a man see her _half-naked_. He tried to ease away the awkwardness by leaving trails of kisses on her body, starting at her neck. He took his precious time when he reached her cleavage and smiled as soft moans escaped her mouth.

Jackson kissed his way down to her navel and stopped at the waistband of her jeans. He unbuttoned them and pulled down the zipper. Pushing himself up onto his knees again, he grasped the waistband and slid the denim garment down her legs. He was delighted to find matching black panties. The teenager that still existed in his head felt privileged to be given the black panties treatment. She really had put some thought into this.

Rather than tease her with foreplay – he was a guy with a long dry spell after all – he wanted her now more than ever. Standing up at the foot of the bed, Jackson sloppily undid his jeans and forcefully pushed them down to his ankles. His eagerness caused him to trip over his own feet and stumble.

April shot up into a sitting position after he fell down hard on the floor. "Are you okay?" she gasped, covering her mouth to suppress a laugh afterwards.

He jumped up, visibly embarrassed but trying to play it off like it was nothing. "I'm fine. Slippery floor."

They wasted no time discarding the rest of their clothes and making themselves comfortable underneath the covers. Jackson hovered above the bashful redhead after he put on a condom. "Oww! Your elbow's on my hair," she yelped, slightly grimacing in pain.

"Sorry, sorry!" Jackson adjusted his position, then he brushed aside strands of her hair away from her face. "You're beautiful."

"The sweet talking type, I see," she teasingly stated, lightly grasping his cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss.

Once they found a comfortable rhythm with each other, all of the awkwardness had faded away. And by the sounds she made during it all, he knew he hadn't lost a beat, which he had been worried about. They both lay on their backs, panting heavily and staring at the ceiling when they finished. Jackson flipped onto his side, smiling down at his girlfriend.

"That was great," he breathlessly said. "You were so great."

"You were…" April laughed to herself because the sex she had with Jackson was nothing like what she experienced with her ex-boyfriend. His hands, his tongue, the way he maneuvered his hips… thinking about all of that made her blush again. "…better than great?"

Jackson snickered and lowered his head to kiss her shoulder. His teeth slightly grazed against her skin and he placed wrapped his arm over her abdomen. "You ready to go again?" He continued to pepper her shoulder with kisses. "Because I'm feeling quite-"

Suddenly, April's pager went off and she sat up instantly, hitting Jackson in the mouth. He placed a hand over his mouth and painfully groaned. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She moved his hand away and noticed a cut on his bottom lip. "I- I'm really, really sorry."

He softly laughed, touching his cut with the tip of his finger. "Uhh, it's alright. Why are you being paged? I thought you were off today."

"Umm, well… yes, I'm off today, but technically, I'm sort of still on-call in case of a trauma that needs multiple doctors to come in. Sometimes it's just a really clueless resident who is calling me for no reason, so it could be that too." April crawled towards the end of the bed, bending over to get her pager, which was clipped to the waistband of her jeans. She unknowingly had also given Jackson a clear view of her backside and he grinned until she turned around to face him. "Trauma. I… I have to go."

His face quickly dropped into a frown. "Seriously? Is it that bad?"

"When my boss is paging me I have to." She gathered her clothes and began dressing herself.

Jackson propped himself up onto his elbows disappointedly. "Is it possible you can come back later? I can leave a key under the doormat for you," he offered eagerly. "I mean, I have a trauma too, which was your fault."

April giggled when he pointed at his cut lip. "Depending on how bad it is at the hospital, I'll try." She climbed onto the bed afterwards and gave her boyfriend a long, passionate kiss. "Thank you for tonight, Jackson. I don't want to leave, but…"

"It's your job. I get it," he wholeheartedly replied. "Aren't you glad we never finished _Gigli_ now?"

She playfully slapped his chest and he responded by giving her rear end a light spank when she turned around. "If it's not too late, I'll let you know that I'm coming back, okay? Otherwise, don't wait up for me."

Jackson retrieved his boxers and wore them before following April out of his bedroom. He kissed her goodbye and closed the door after she left. Rather than return upstairs to shower, he plopped down on the couch in the living room. The movie remained paused on his TV, so he picked up his remote and decided to suffer through _Gigli_ alone.

* * *

><p>Just as she promised, April managed to switch shifts with a coworker, taking a night shift the previous day in order to have the following day off to watch Dylan for a few hours. Jackson hadn't given her any instructions aside from the directions to his children's school, leaving her with the job to figure out how to pass the time with the 5-year old. Apparently, he had told his son that he would be spending time with her and the younger Avery assumed it was a date. Dylan brought a fedora to school for their so-called date – to the Woodland Park Zoo.<p>

Dressed in his school uniform, backpack hanging from his shoulders and fedora on his head, Dylan clutched April's hand tightly when they entered the zoo. He had a skip in his stride because it was his first time visiting a zoo and he couldn't hold back his excitement.

"You look very pwetty today, Dr. April," he complimented.

April softly chuckled, glancing down at her attire. All she wore was an old pair of blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt with the words Duke University School of Medicine stitched across her chest and black Chuck's. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she never bothered putting on any makeup. She could be wearing a clown costume and she was certain Dylan would tell her the same thing.

"Thank you, Dylan. You look quite handsome yourself," she replied and looked at the map in her other hand. "Which animal do you want to visit first?"

"Umm… da penguins!" he squeaked.

They wound up traveling in a circle, visiting all of the exhibits of various animals. Dylan talked nonstop about anything and everything he thought April would find worth listening to. She learned the boy had quite the imagination. He created stories off the top of his head, like how the male lion met the female lion and why penguins walked so funny. The Kindergartner was especially fascinated by the giraffes that towered over them from the opposite side of the fence. He tilted his head so far back to gaze up at the tall creatures that his fedora slipped off of his head.

April's personal favorite was the small family farm. Seeing pigs, cows and horses reminded her of home in Moline. It brought back memories of helping her father raise their livestock. Thinking about her family made her miss being home. She rarely had the opportunity to visit Ohio because of work.

Dylan was so adventurous that he practically dragged April into the Bug World exhibit. She refused to admit it to him, but the creepy crawlies gave her the heebie jeebies. Two areas she could live without visiting: bugs and snakes. Unfortunately, her little date felt differently and she had to pretend they didn't bother her.

After a long walk around the zoo, April decided they deserved a break. She bought him a snack before they relaxed on a bench across from the elephants. "How are you, Dylan? Are you having fun?" She already knew the answer, but it was refreshing to watch him nod his head enthusiastically. "Maybe next time you can take your daddy here."

"Daddy would like da lions," he chirped. "It's his favorite animal."

"Oh, yeah? What's your mommy's favorite animal?" April watched Dylan shrug his shoulders. "You've never asked her?"

"Mommy doesn't have time for me. She's in Portland," he nonchalantly responded.

The redhead slightly frowned. It somewhat broke her heart that Dylan didn't appear to be bothered by the little time he spends with his mother. "What makes you think she doesn't have time for you?"

Dylan's legs swayed back and forth over the edge of the bench as he stuffed his mouth with popcorn. "She works a lot. I only see her every other weekend," he explained. "And when we're at her apartment she's always on her phone. And she always lets Charlotte pick what we get to do."

"Have you ever talked to your daddy about that?"

"No, 'cause Daddy and Mommy fight a lot on da phone. Daddy yells at his phone all da time, but I don't know what they fight about. I think he's mad at her 'cause she lives too far away," he speculated, then he looked up at April. "That's why I want Daddy to marry you, so I have a mommy who's here all the time."

April quickly raised her eyebrows and cleared her throat. "O-oh, well… your daddy and I really like spending time with each other, but… we're not ready to get married," she reluctantly answered, forcing a smile. Although she cared about Dylan, she wasn't ready to be anybody's mother. She and Jackson weren't together long enough to even start talking about _that_. But she knew the 5-year old meant that with good intentions. It bothered her that he didn't see his mother as an actual mother. "Do you understand?"

Dylan slowly nodded. "Daddy has to buy you a diamond ring first anyways."

His comment made her chuckle. April gently rubbed Dylan's back and sighed. "You're such a good boy. Your daddy is very lucky to have a son like you, watching out for him all the time." She briefly turned her head to brush away a tear that barely escaped her eye.

She found herself growing attached to Dylan that it was beginning to scare her.

After Dylan finished his snack, they visited the rest of the areas left on their map and made a quick trip to the gift shop before leaving the zoo. April drove him home and walked him to the front door, ringing the doorbell.

Jackson opened the door and smirked at the stuffed giraffe that his son could barely carry in his arms. It was a little more than half his size. "Whatcha got there, buddy?" he asked curiously.

"He was so well-behaved at the zoo that I couldn't help myself," April sheepishly replied. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, no. It's cool." He gently poked the stuffed giraffe. "You have a name for this one yet?"

"Sloth!" Dylan proudly announced.

Jackson forced a laugh and smiled when April amusingly shrugged. "That's… a great name. Dinner's almost ready, so how about you go inside and wash up?" He gestured towards the inside of the house. "Do you want to stay and join us?"

She politely waved. "I'd love to, but I should head home. I need to get my sleeping pattern back to normal after working that night shift. I have to be in for work early tomorrow for a surgery, but thank you. Maybe next time."

"Okay. Say goodbye, Dylan," he instructed.

Dylan set his stuffed giraffe down, then he hugged April as tightly as he could. "Bye, Dr. April. I love you!"

Both Jackson and April stared at him with wide eyes as he casually picked up Sloth and retreated into the house. The history teacher nervously laughed, while the trauma surgeon shyly bit down on her bottom lip. "Well, that was… cute," he awkwardly stated.

"He did sing some Bruno Mars to me in the car," she recalled, smiling as she remembered Dylan's animated performance in the backseat with his arm motions and high notes.

"So, he was fine? Like, he wasn't bothered by the fact that I wasn't there?"

"Dylan was great. The whole zoo experience was exciting for him." April decided it was best not to mention their conversation about his mother. She didn't want to stir up any trouble between Jackson and his ex-wife. "In fact, he wants to bring _you_ there sometime."

Jackson picked up April's hands, rubbing the back of them with his thumbs. "Thank you for helping me. I mean, I'm only halfway through with grading those damn papers, but I wouldn't have finished that much with two children here." He pulled her closer to him and gently kissed her lips. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"And so are you," she reciprocated the compliment. She released her grip from his hands and placed hers against his chest. "Dylan's a sweet kid. And very smart too. You should be proud."

He kissed her one more time before letting her go. "Call me before you go to bed?" She happily nodded, then she returned to her car. Jackson stood in the doorway, smiling back at April as she drove away.

He couldn't ask for a better girlfriend, but damn – he wished he could've told her those three important words first.

* * *

><p><strong>As always, let me know what you think please :) Your feedback is appreciated!<strong>


	6. S is For

**Thank you for the reviews! This chapter was inspired by an Everwood episode, so if you watched the show, then you'll probably know what part I'm referring to ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>A normal day at the hospital turned into a pleasant surprise for Mark Sloan. After buying himself a cup of coffee in the main lobby, he started to walk towards the elevators when he spotted a familiar face in the waiting area. A smug grin formed on his face as he approached a well-dressed Jackson sitting nearby. He hadn't seen the pretty boy since their first meeting at Joe's.<p>

"What brings you here, Avery?" he greeted the history teacher. "You and Kepner going out on a date?"

Jackson stared back at Mark confused until the latter gestured towards his white dress shirt and black pants. "Oh, no. I came from work, but I _am_ here to see April. She doesn't actually know that I planned on coming here. I asked one of the nurses to page her."

The plastic surgeon sat down beside him. "I see. Last time I checked the OR board, she was in surgery, but she should be finished any minute now. How about I keep you company until she arrives? I've got a light schedule, so a little bonding time with my new friend wouldn't hurt." He playfully nudged Jackson's bicep with his elbow. "I gotta hand it to you, man. Kepner's been way less uptight since she started dating you. I'm not sure what you're doing, but keep doing it."

Of course he wanted to keep doing _it_. The sex was incredible. Any chance he and April had the opportunity to be alone they took it – except if the children were around. They agreed sex could only happen when Jackson didn't have the kids with him at home.

"You definitely look like the type of guy who hits the gym a lot," Mark continued, sipping his coffee afterwards. "You know, I can put in a good word for you and get you a membership at mine. It's pretty exclusive, but since you know me you'll get in easily. What do ya say? We can hit the court, play some one v. one."

"Uhh… sure. Why not?" Jackson timidly responded. He suspected that Mark's gym buddies were exactly like him – rich and arrogant. However, he already turned down the opportunity to join his flag football team as the fake janitor. Passing up another offer would only send him mixed signals. He didn't want April thinking he was being a flake with her friends. "It's been a while since I shot hoops with somebody."

"And you can even bring your kids along with you. They've got a place for them if you want to ditch them for a while," the older man added.

"I'll keep that in mind," Jackson answered, forcing a smile.

"By the way, we should redo our double date. Let's try one that lasts more than twenty minutes, okay?"

Jackson chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, for sure."

Minutes later, April appeared with her hands inside of her lab coat pockets. She seemed surprised to see Jackson at the hospital, but she was delighted as well. "Hey, is Sloan bothering you?" she jokingly questioned.

"We were just having some manly bonding time," Mark insisted and threw a soft punch at Jackson's shoulder. He pushed himself up onto his feet and winked at April. "We're gonna get along just fine."

She awkwardly watched him walk away, then she turned her attention back to her boyfriend. "Okay, honestly, was he bothering you? Because I can ask him to stop pestering you if he was."

Jackson waved his hand as he stood up. "No, no. It's alright. He was mostly bragging about how he can get me into his classy gym, which is cool. Anyway, I dropped by because I have some free time on my hands. Dylan's at a friend's house and Charlotte's at soccer practice, so I figured I could come here and talk to you until I have to pick them up," he explained sheepishly.

"Is something the matter?" the redhead asked concerned, then she lowered her voice down to a whisper. "Does this have to do with the scratches on your back? I am deeply sorry about that."

"I swear, it's nothing terrible," he assured her. "Is there a place where we can talk alone?"

"Umm, yes. Follow me," April grabbed a hold of Jackson's hand, but she immediately let go. Professionalism, she reminded herself. They walked side by side almost as if they were acquaintances talking about medical insurance as she led him into a hallway. She scanned their surroundings before opening the door of an empty on-call room. "Okay, so we're alone."

Just as Jackson opened his mouth, the trauma surgeon threw her arms over his shoulders and passionately kissed him. He smiled against her lips, wrapping his arms around her waist. "April?" Her hands moved down to the buttons of his shirt. She was halfway done with unbuttoning it before he stopped her. "Wait, are we having sex right now? At your work?"

"As long as nobody pages me, then yes. Isn't that why you came here?" she innocently asked.

"Well, I hadn't expected sex to be a part of this visit, but I don't mind at all," he huskily replied and pushed April's lab coat away from her shoulders.

April took a step back and gasped. "Oh, gosh. You wanted to talk as in actual conversation." She bit her bottom lip and grimaced. "I thought you were being adventurous by convincing me to have sex in an on-call room because truthfully, I've never done it at work and after a 2-hour surgery, I wanted to relieve some stress-"

Jackson placed his hands on her shoulders and laughed. "Listen, I _always_ want to have sex with you. Can we talk first and then have sex?" He pinched the hem of his girlfriend's scrub top as his eyes scanned her from head to toe. "Or I can get you naked first before we talk."

She playfully rolled her eyes, taking his hand and guiding him towards the bed. They sat down beside each other along the edge of the bed and she smiled at him. "Okay, talk."

"So, I've been thinking," he stated, leaning forward to kiss her neck. "We've been dating for a while now and you've been to my house, and you've also met my kids…"

April closed her eyes when Jackson hit a sensitive spot on her neck. She forced herself to pull his lips away from her skin in order to listen to him attentively. "I'm not going to be able to take you seriously when you're doing that," she admitted and smirked. "What exactly are you asking me?"

"I was wondering if you could come over for dinner this weekend and maybe spend the night?" he asked with a hopeful tone to his voice. She raised both eyebrows in response. "No sex. Just sleep. It'll be like a sleepover. I'll talk to the kids about it beforehand, so they're not caught off-guard."

"Y-you don't think it's too soon for me to be spending the night at your house?" she nervously questioned. It wasn't necessarily the sleeping over part that worried her. She wouldn't hesitate to spend the night at Jackson's if the children weren't there too. "I mean, Dylan probably wouldn't mind, but… I don't think Charlotte is very comfortable being around me yet."

Jackson tucked a loose strand of April's hair behind her ear. "She's still trying to get used to the idea of me dating."

"Charlotte just seems so cold towards me when I try to talk to her. Sometimes she doesn't answer me at all," she dejectedly replied and sighed. "I want her to like me, but I don't know what to do anymore. I can't force her to like me."

He leaned forward, gently pressing his lips against her forehead. "Can you make macaroni and cheese from scratch?"

"Umm, yes. I have my mother's recipe at home. Why?"

"Because Charlotte loves macaroni and cheese and I thought maybe if you prepared some for dinner, she'll warm up to you a bit. It wouldn't hurt to try." Jackson slipped his hands underneath April's scrub top and began slowly pushing it upwards. "Is Saturday night good for you?"

She raised her arms, so he could remove her scrub top. "I might have work this Saturday, but I'm not sure yet. If I do, I'll be off around six. Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly fine. Text me what ingredients you need for dinner and I'll take care of that for you." He pulled her onto his lap and smiled elatedly. "This will be good for us. Soon, the kids will get used to seeing you at the house a lot and it won't be a big deal. Also, your comfort level is just as important as theirs. I don't want you to feel unwelcome in my house."

April wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, then she sighed again. "I just hope she'll eventually realize that I'm not trying to replace her mother."

* * *

><p>Saturday was quickly creeping up on April that as the remaining days of the week passed, the more nervous she became. Perhaps she was making the sleepover a bigger deal than it was, but it was a giant leap to the next level in her and Jackson's relationship. All of their milestones seemed to be happening faster than she anticipated.<p>

But she was happy. That mattered the most to her. Still, she needed a distraction until Saturday night arrived. Medicine was always the best option to sidetrack her for a while and she had an important patient to help her with that.

The trauma surgeon entered a hospital room with a small group of third year residents following her inside. Her patient was a woman in her mid-20's with yellow skin, but she still managed to smile enthusiastically at the redheaded woman. "Good morning, Leah. Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy," she greeted her patient, along with her parents. "How are you feeling today?"

"My legs feel like stone and I'm also craving a mushroom pizza," Leah answered, snickering at her last comment. April shot her a confused look, then she laughed. "Yeah, that was meant to be a joke. I know mushrooms can ruin my already crappy liver."

She softly laughed, clenching her tablet against her chest. "Ah, yes. At least you can still maintain a sense of humor through all of this. Who would like to present Leah's case?" All four of her residents' hands shot up and she turned her head to choose one. "Brooks, go ahead."

A female doctor with dirty blonde hair named Heather Brooks stepped forward and stood beside April. "Leah Murphy, age 25. She was diagnosed at age 21 with Wilson disease, a rare genetic disorder of copper metabolism in which excessive amounts of copper accumulate in the body, and could lead to severe damage to the liver, brain and eyes," she stated. "The patient suffers from chronic liver failure after her medication to treat Wilson disease stopped responding and is need of a liver transplant to prevent the disease from spreading to her brain."

"It only took two years, but they finally rewarded me with a new liver," Leah sarcastically responded, drawing small scowls from her parents. "What? You two passed this gene down to me. Lucky me, I just happened to have parents who _both_ carried the gene. So if this liver loves me, then I can stop holding a grudge towards you guys."

"While we can't guarantee that your body will accept the new liver, you'll need to take medication for the rest of your life to prevent rejection," April noted. "We're also aiming to ease you into Syprine if you don't reject the liver."

"Will this treatment control her mood changes?" Mrs. Murphy inquired. "I know it's not entirely her fault when she acts out or is completely disrespectful, but will the transplant help?"

The redhead forced herself to smile. "It's possible there will be an improvement psychologically, but we won't know that for sure until we know her body will accept the liver. We'll be monitoring her recovery following the surgery. She'll be under our care for the first three weeks."

"And if my body hates this liver, I'm back on the list, right?" Leah muttered. "By the time another liver comes around, I'd probably be dead, huh?"

"That's what we're hoping _doesn't_ happen," April assured her patient. "Anyway, I have some forms for you to sign and if you have any questions about the surgery, feel free to ask. A couple of my residents will be drawing your blood and running a few tests prior to your surgery. When that's all done we'll start prepping you, alright?"

She assigned her remaining residents jobs before stepping out of the room. After confirming with a nurse about her OR, she leaned against the counter of the nurses' station and used her free time to check messages on her cell phone. One of them was from Jackson and his question made her smile.

_Going to the grocery after school. Forgot to ask what cheese you want. Cheddar, American, Jack, White Cheddar? Shredded or blocks? Maybe I should just buy all of them._

April sent her boyfriend a quick text message before she was interrupted by Brooks. "Yes?"

"I uhh… have the papers signed. You didn't ask me to do anything else, so does that mean I'm scrubbing in?" the resident asked eagerly.

"Yes, you're scrubbing in," she answered, laughing at the wide grin on Brooks' face. "I also have an important job for you following the surgery. Leah needs to be monitored carefully tonight and especially, tomorrow. That means keeping an eye on her urine, checking for unusual neurological symptoms and that she takes her anti-rejection medication on schedule. I won't be here, so only call me if it's definitely an emergency. I only want to be called down here if she's dying. I'll stop by in the afternoon, but besides that, I'm not going to be here."

Brooks quickly nodded. "Got it, Dr. Kepner. Sloan said you have an important date, so I will try my best not to bother you."

April's face suddenly dropped. Of course Mark would gossip about her social life to anybody, including residents she barely knew personally. She began to question whether or not she should continue telling Lexie everything about Jackson. "Okay. Next time you see Dr. Sloan, tell him to stop talking about my personal life to you guys or I will make sure all of the interns and residents know about the penis incident."

"What's the penis incident?"

She smirked as she typed something on her tablet. "Just a little thing that he doesn't want people outside of the attendings' circle knowing about. Bring it up and he will for sure shut up."

"Okay…" Brooks fidgeted with her fingers. "Not even a small hint?"

April glanced up from her tablet, furrowing her brow at the younger doctor. "Brooks, go… buy yourself some coffee. You're going to be stuck in this hospital for the next 48 hours," she advised. She snickered when her resident scurried away.

While she slowly counted down the hours to her patient's transplant surgery, she decided to search for Mark and give him an earful about gossiping with their residents about her boyfriend. She was beginning to think that the plastic surgeon was more infatuated with Jackson than she was.

* * *

><p>"Alright, kids. Dr. Kepner will be here any minute now. Remember, I want you on your best behavior," Jackson reminded his children, who were seated on the couch. He sat across from them on the coffee table. Although he knew Dylan was thrilled to have April coming over for dinner, Charlotte continued to be unhappy about it. "She's cooking us dinner, so thank her when you've finished eating."<p>

"But what if it's gross?" Charlotte asked, scrunching her nose.

"She's making mac and cheese, your favorite. It won't be gross," he assured her.

Dylan grinned as he clutched Sloth the giraffe beside him. "And she's sleeping over?"

Jackson nodded and smiled. "Yes, she's sleeping here tonight and she'll have breakfast with us in the morning." The doorbell rang, so he stood up to answer the door. When he opened it April stood outside with a small gym bag slung over her shoulder. "Hey, come in. I just gave the kids a little pep talk for tonight."

April nervously entered the house. She could already feel Charlotte's eyes following her every move from the living room. "So, where can I put this?" she asked, referring to her gym bag containing a change of clothes and some bathroom items she packed.

"I'll take that. Get yourself settled in, while I put this in the bedroom," he casually walked up the stairs and called out to the children, "Say hi to Dr. Kepner, kids!"

Dylan immediately sprang up from the couch and ran towards the trauma surgeon. "Hi, Dr. April!" he excitedly greeted her, hugging her as tightly as possible. He took her hand and guided her towards the living room. "C'mon, I want to show you something I drew today."

April sat down in between Charlotte and Dylan. She softly smiled at the 8-year old, who gave her a brief look before staring down at her lap. "Hi, Charlotte." The lack of response from her caused her to slightly frown. However, the drawing Dylan held in his hand caught her attention. The drawing appeared to be of herself dressed in her navy blue scrubs and white lab coat. "Is that me?"

"Uh huh!" Dylan pointed at the various hearts surrounding the trauma surgeon. "I drew all da hearts 'cause you fixed my arm and 'cause you're super nice and my girlfriend."

She stared at the drawing in awe. For a 5-year old, Dylan was quite the artist. Her hair was a little more orange than it actually was, but she appreciated the effort. There was one detail that slightly confused her, though. "What are those big, round things on my lab coat?" she asked, pointing at the circular shapes close to her arms.

"Those are boobies," he casually answered.

His response drew a giggle from Charlotte, while April's eyes widened. "Oh… okay." She stood up and nodded towards the kitchen. "Well, I should start making dinner. That's a very nice drawing, Dylan. I'll make sure to post it on my refrigerator."

While she retreated to the kitchen, Jackson returned downstairs and turned on a cartoon for the children to watch. He joined April in the kitchen where she was gathering ingredients. Standing behind her, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. "This is going to be nice. That empty chair at the other end of the dining table will finally be occupied," he whispered into her ear, kissing her cheek afterwards. "How was your day?"

"Pretty relaxing. I just stopped by the hospital to check on my transplant patient, then I spent time cleaning my apartment," she answered, though she actually wasn't telling the whole truth.

Her day was far from relaxing. Rather than briefly visit Seattle Grace to see how Leah was doing, she had been at the hospital from 8 AM to 5 PM lurking around and trying to keep herself occupied in the ER. Brooks was a trustworthy resident, but she was only a third year, which made the redhead somewhat uneasy. And it was a habit to come in to work when she wasn't needed, sometimes an annoying habit. She had been laying low until the Chief of Surgery and fellow trauma surgeon, Owen Hunt, caught her in the pit and told her to go home.

She couldn't help but constantly worry about others more than herself. It was always a part of who she was, but occasionally, her selflessness eventually exhausted her. However, she managed to put a smile on her face regardless of how tired she was. Plus, she thought if she told Jackson the truth, he would tell her she was working too much, which was slightly true.

"Hey, if I'm going to make us dinner, you have to let go," she playfully scolded him and lightly nudged his side with her elbow.

Jackson stepped back and leaned against the island counter. He watched April turn on the stove, which also allowed him to catch a view of her backside. "Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?"

"Not quite. It's possible I'll be on-call, but going home to Ohio is definitely not an option," she answered, looking back at him. "And my family's staying in Ohio this year, so they're celebrating without me."

"Okay, so have dinner here with us. My mother will be in town and there's no way she's leaving Seattle without meeting you first," he insisted. She turned around with a worried expression on her face. "I'll be straight with you, April. I've told you about her in the past, but honestly, her bluntness is five times worse than Mark Sloan's."

"That's encouraging," she half-heartedly replied.

Jackson cupped April's cheeks and gently kissed her lips. "You're both doctors, so you two already relate to each other. She'll love you, I promise." He opened the refrigerator to grab a bottle of beer. "How often do your parents visit?"

"Umm… not often. I mean, they split time visiting my sisters too. We're sort of spread out now," April answered, facing the stove again. "They might come to Seattle before Christmas since I won't be going home _again_."

"You miss them a lot, huh?"

"More than I thought I would," she sighed. "I moved to Seattle because I wanted a change in scenery. Aside from living in North Carolina for medical school, I've never really lived so far away from my family. I had an aunt and uncle in Durham, so I wasn't that homesick. I came here not knowing a single soul. It was scary as hell."

Jackson sipped his beer, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. "I remember that feeling out of high school. But then you make friends and you meet your future wife-" He paused when April shot him a curious look. "Well, sometimes things don't always work out the way you want it. Know what I mean?"

She simply smiled, nodding her head as she grated some cheese. "I suppose."

Cooking dinner went by smoothly. April baked a four-cheese macaroni and cheese dish and steamed some vegetables on the side. Jackson set the table, while the children washed their hands. They sat down at the dining table with the adults sitting on the ends and the children on the sides.

"This all looks good, right?" Jackson enthusiastically asked Charlotte and Dylan. He served them their plates before helping himself to some macaroni and cheese. "It smells good too."

April nervously sipped her water as she waited for the three Averys to try her cooking. It wasn't the first time she had used her mother's recipe, but it had been months since she cooked dinner from scratch. She hoped she would pass the test, particularly with Charlotte. The third grader appeared reluctant to taste her dinner, though. At least Dylan didn't hesitate to eat. He was even eating his freaking broccoli.

About midway through dinner, Jackson was on his third plate, while his daughter only ate half of her first serving. "Charlotte, you need to finish that or no dessert," he informed her. She lazily poked at her macaroni without responding to him. "Charlotte, are you listening to me?"

"I'm not hungry anymore," she murmured, placing her elbow on top of the table.

"But you barely ate a thing. Finish your dinner, please."

Charlotte rested her head against her hand. "No."

"Macaroni and cheese is your favorite. Dr. Kepner made this dinner, especially for you," Jackson argued. He was beginning to lose his patience with her. "The least you could say is thank you."

"It tastes like shit," she blurted out.

Both Jackson and April stared at Charlotte dumbfounded. The redhead's eyes darted down towards her plate, pursing her lips as her boyfriend's face changed into a scowl. "Excuse me?" he sternly replied, then he pointed at the stairs. "Upstairs, right now. Go to your room and I'll meet you there in a minute. I didn't teach you to become a potty mouth."

Charlotte angrily pushed back her seat and headed towards the stairs. She stomped her feet all the way to her bedroom. Jackson shook his head disappointedly as he stood up.

"I'm really sorry about that, April. She didn't mean it," he remorsefully stated before going upstairs.

Dylan set his fork on his plate and smiled. "I don't think it tastes like shit, Dr. April."

April's mouth opened to say something, then she quickly closed it. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to smile back at the Kindergartener. "Thank you, but please don't use that word again, _especially_ in front of your daddy."

* * *

><p>Sitting upstairs in her bedroom, Charlotte sat on the edge of her bed with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She sported the Avery pout as she heard her father's footsteps approaching her bedroom. Jackson quietly pushed open the door, stopping in the doorway to give her a long, hard look. She avoided eye contact with him on purpose because she knew she was in deep trouble.<p>

Jackson sighed loudly as he closed the door behind him. He sat down beside Charlotte, folding his hands against his lap. "Do you want to tell me what that was about?" His daughter remained silent as she stared at the floor. "I'm not leaving this room until you talk to me, or I can call your mother and tell her about what you said."

"No, don't tell Mommy!" Charlotte panicked after Jackson reached for his cell phone in his pocket. She glanced up at him with glossy eyes. "I don't want Dr. Kepner to be my new mommy."

"What?" he softly laughed. "Who told you she would be?"

"Nobody, but my friends told me that single parents are gonna find someone to marry and you like Dr. Kepner a lot, but I already have a mommy. You're gonna marry her and forget about Mommy," she tearfully replied.

He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her tightly. "Charlotte, it's true that I like Dr. Kepner a lot, but we're not getting married. It could happen one day, but that's not something we're considering right now. Also, I will never forget about your mother, okay? She gave me both you and Dylan and I'll be forever grateful for that," he assured her, kissing the top of her head. "And having a stepmother doesn't mean she replaces Mommy. You know, it just means you'll have two mommies. Some kids have two daddies and some might have two mommies _and_ two daddies. Your mother might meet someone she wants to marry, but he wouldn't replace me. Understand?"

Charlotte nodded her head slowly. "Does Dr. Kepner hate me?"

"No, of course not. She's been trying to be your friend, but you have to apologize to her." Jackson gently rubbed Charlotte's back. He was actually relieved that he didn't have to engage in a shouting match with her, which he thought was going to happen. "And I don't want to hear that word come out of your mouth again. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry," she murmured, sniffling against his shoulder.

"Thank you." Jackson set Charlotte back down on the bed. "Alright, you're grounded until Friday. No TV and no iPad. I won't tell your mother about what you said as long as you promise to apologize sincerely to Dr. Kepner tomorrow morning. Promise?"

He held up his pinky and she immediately linked her pinky with his. "I promise," she agreed. "I'm still hungry."

Jackson chuckled. "I figured you would be. Stay here. I'll bring up your plate. If you finish your dinner, I'll take back what I said about no dessert." He kissed Charlotte's forehead before standing up. "No more pouting, okay? I'll be back in a minute."

Leaving the bedroom, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Perhaps the non-yelling approach helped, despite internally raging about the incident. He had been embarrassed and angry about how Charlotte spoke to him, but he was glad she had opened up to him quickly. Threatening to call his ex-wife seemed to work, though it also forced him to wonder if she was more strict with her parenting than he was.

At least the problem was resolved for now, he thought.

* * *

><p>April made herself comfortable under the covers after she changed into her pajamas and used the bathroom. She considered going home after the awkward moment with Charlotte, but Jackson convinced her to stay. Her body felt tired from running around at the hospital. Her mind was just as exhausted. What happened at dinner caused her to believe that she knew nothing about parenting. She practically froze up when Charlotte dropped the s-bomb and insulted her. But technically, she wasn't her mother or anything to her for that matter.<p>

Jackson walked into his bedroom after checking on his children. "They're both asleep now," he said as he climbed into bed to join his girlfriend. She simply nodded while she stared at the ceiling. "Listen, I'm still very sorry about what happened at dinner. I don't even know how she picked up that word. I try my best not to curse in front of-"

"It's okay, Jackson," she insisted, turning her head and softly smiling at him. "I'm just very tired."

He rolled over onto his side and stroked April's cheek with his thumb. "I feel so guilty, that's all. I gave them the pep talk and I was positive nothing would go wrong tonight…"

"To be fair, Dylan wasn't a problem," she noted.

"Well, I knew he wouldn't be. The kid adores you." Jackson leaned forward and planted kisses along April's neck. "I know you said you're tired, but…" He slipped his hand underneath her t-shirt. "…you seem pretty tense too."

"Jackson…" April mumbled when he kissed her lips. "No sex when the kids are here, remember?"

"Who said anything about sex?" he nonchalantly replied in between kisses. "I'm trying to help you relax."

April slightly squirmed and let out a small squeal when his hand traveled down into her pajama pants. She finally realized what exactly he was referring to and fought her hardest to suppress her moans. Fortunately, Jackson was fully aware that she can be loud and firmly pressed his lips against hers to keep her as quiet as possible. She was almost there, but…

A knock on the door forced Jackson pull away from April, who instantly sat up on the bed trying to catch her breath. "Daddy," Dylan called out from the opposite side of the door. "Can I come in, please?"

"Uhh, sure," the older Avery muttered. His son opened the door and entered wearing his penguin footie pajamas while clinging on to Sloth the giraffe. "Whatcha doing up, buddy? I thought you were sleeping."

"Can I sleep in here with you and Dr. April?" he innocently asked.

Before Jackson could politely tell his child to return to his bedroom, April opened the blanket and patted the space in between the two of them. "Sure! Hop on in," she cheerfully replied. The 5-year old ran towards the bed, tossing his stuffed giraffe towards them. He climbed up and crawled towards the middle. "Aww, look at your cute pajamas. You look just like a penguin too!"

And she wasn't exaggerating. Dylan's footie pajamas was designed to look like an actual penguin.

Jackson bit down on his bottom lip as he listened to April gush over how cute his son looked in his pajamas. Now he had Dylan _and_ a giant stuffed giraffe in between them. Just when they were finally alone again, his magic hand was no longer useful for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>The next morning, April woke up to a noise coming from downstairs. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. Jackson and Dylan were still asleep. The latter somehow flipped himself upside down because his feet were resting beside his father's head, which made her silently giggle. She heard another loud noise causing her to worry. It could be a burglar – at 8 AM. She decided not to wake up Jackson and investigate on her own.<p>

April quietly walked down the stairs. The noise was coming from the kitchen. She peeked her head inside and saw Charlotte trying to gather the various pans she dropped on the floor. "Charlotte? What are you doing in here?" she softly asked. Her voice alerted the 8-year old and she froze in place. "Don't worry. I won't tell your dad."

"I… I wanted to make you breakfast to say I'm sorry," she shyly responded, dropping her head down. "Daddy said I have to apologize to you, but I wanted to do more than that. I'm sorry, Dr. Kepner."

The trauma surgeon smiled and approached Charlotte. She knelt down to pick up the scattered pans. "Thank you. That actually means a lot to me." She placed the pans on the counter. "Would it be too much to ask for a hug?"

Charlotte stepped forward and wrapped her arms around April's waist. "And your mac and cheese wasn't gross. I liked it a lot," she added. "I was gonna make you pancakes, but… I don't know how and umm, Daddy won't let me use the stove."

"Why don't we make pancakes together? It'll be a nice surprise for your daddy and Dylan," she suggested, opening a few cupboards until she found what she was looking for. April held up a bag of chocolate chips. "How do chocolate chip pancakes sound?"

A bright smile formed on Charlotte's face. "Can we make funny shapes too?"

"Yes, of course. Funny shapes are the best," April delightfully agreed. She gathered the rest of the ingredients needed and set them up on the island counter. "Which job do you want? Pouring in the ingredients or mixing them together?"

"Mixing, please," Charlotte answered, standing beside April as the latter began cracking the eggs. "Did you and your mommy do this a lot when you were little?"

"Yup. We made all kinds of pancakes."

"My mommy can cook, but she doesn't make pancakes like Daddy does," she stated. "In Portland, she takes us to this pancake place for breakfast. Those are good too, but I think Daddy's pancakes are better."

April couldn't help but smile at how talkative Charlotte was now. Whatever Jackson's lecture consisted of, it seemed to help his daughter realize that she wasn't the evil stepmother she originally perceived her to be. It used to take a lot of effort to get a word out of Charlotte, but now she was getting sentences from her. And the cold attitude disappeared as well. That was an encouraging sign.

Meanwhile upstairs, Jackson stirred in his sleep when he felt weight on his face. Blinking his eyes open, he softly groaned. Dylan's feet were resting on his face and he carefully moved them aside before sitting up on his bed. "How do you even…" he whispered to himself, scratching the back of his head. He knew his son moved around a lot in his sleep, but his current position was an enigma to him.

He noticed April wasn't in the bed and he hoped she hadn't snuck out of the house to leave. Her gym bag sat at the foot of the bed, which ensured him that she was still around. After a quick trip to the bathroom, Jackson went downstairs where he could hear voices coming from the kitchen. He stopped at the entrance and watched April and Charlotte converse while preparing breakfast.

Charlotte caught him watching and she waved her arm. "Daddy, it's a surprise! You can't watch!" she ordered, trying to cover the bowl of pancake mix with her arms.

"You heard the lady. No boys allowed," April playfully scolded him, smirking at her boyfriend. "Shoo, Jackson."

"Alright, alright. I'm going," he chuckled, raising his hands in front of his chest.

Jackson walked away smiling proudly to himself. He turned on the TV in the living room and sat down on the couch. The sounds of laughter coming from both April and Charlotte in the kitchen made him even happier. He knew then that the redheaded woman he was falling in love with could very well be a great addition to their family.

* * *

><p><strong>Things are looking brighter, yeah? :) Next up: Mama Avery comes to town!<strong>


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